Newsletter No. 220

LOOKING B a c k a s THE UNIVERSITY REACHES 4 0 A m b r o s e Y . C . K i n g Un i ve r s i ty campu s i s a l ush garde n congenia l fo r humans, flor a an d fauna , a n Elysium wher e cultur e and natur e coexis t i n harmony. Nea r th e sea , Chun g Chi College' s Weiyua n Lak e ( 未圓湖 ) i s a s sceni c as its distan t counterpar t i n th e No r t h 一 We imi n g Lake (未名湖) o f Pekin g University . A t th e hillto p on th e campu s o f N e w As i a College , th e n e w l y e r ec t ed T i a n r e n H e y i p a v i l l i o n (天人合一亭） commands a grand v i e w o f th e v i r i l e M a O n Sha n and th e charmin g Pa t Sin Range, while th e colou r o f the sk y a s reflected by it s poo l o f clea r water s i s th e same a s that reflecte d by Tol o Harbou r close r t o th e horizon. I n an environment o f suc h perfect harmony , man is reunited w i th nature. Who wou ld deem it unfi t to describ e th e v i e w a s ' Ho ng Kong' s secon d mos t picturesque'? Fou r decade s of painstaking cultivatio n have turne d th e University' s campu s int o on e o f th e world's mos t beautiful i n the eyes of many visitin g international scholars . On thi s stunnin g campus , the tru e accomplishment s o f the Un i ve r s i t y hav e f o u n d m a n i f e s t a t i on i n t he i n s t i t u t i o n s i t h a s developed, i n the talent i t has nurtured , an d i n th e academic researc h i t ha s pioneered. Institutionall y there are four colleges , seve n faculties, a graduate school , 6 1 academic departments , a n extensiv e University Librar y System , an d clos e to a hundred research institutes, centres , and laboratories. The grand framewor k of a research-based c omp r ehen s i v e university ha s taken shape. When the University wa s founded, ther e were onl y 1,60 0 students. Today ther e are 15,000 , of w h om som e 9,00 0 ar e undergraduate s and 6,00 0 postgraduates . Th e mos t recen t batc h o f 5,287 graduate s joine d th e rank s o f th e University' s a l umni las t year , b r i ng i n g it s membershi p clos e t o 70,000. W e p r i d e ourselve s o n th e ma n y Chines e University graduate s wh o hav e fare d excellentl y i n different sector s — i n academia , education , finance , commerce, governmen t an d publi c administration , art and music, an d the mas s media. The y hel p creat e the giganti c forc e tha t propel s Ho n g Kon g f o r wa r d f r om a colonial cit y t o a wo r l d - f amous metropolis . The Chines e Un i ve r s i t y a s we k n o w i t today i s in every sens e a n i n t e r na t i ona l un i ve r s i t y , on e tha t enjoys w o r l d w i d e r ecogn i t i o n an d r epu t a t i o n in many area s o f it s teachin g an d research . It s M B A Programme wa s ranke d number on e in Asia by Asia, Inc. las t August, an d it s Executiv e MB A Programm e has also been rated top i n Asia an d 20th in the wo r l d by th e London-base d Financial Times. Fort y year s o f tireless effort s by staf f and students seekin g progres s and self-renewa l have assure d the University a place i n th e f o r e f r o n t o f the i n t e r n a t i o n a l leagu e of universities. As the University move s f r om the 20th to the 21st century, eac h step ha s lef t a n imprint, represente d a phase, established a foothold, al l leading upwards t o a higher plane . It has embraced change while stayin g true to its commitments, an d the pursuit o f excellenc e has remained it s gu i d i n g sta r fo r 4 0 long years . On e issue t ha t ha s engage d th e larges t p a r t o f the Un i v e r s i t y 's effort s i s th e constructio n o f p r ope r systems for a modern university, wherein lies the cru x of institutional governance . While th e personal style s and value s o f i nd i v i dua l vice-chancellor s w i l l exer t considerable influenc e o n the universities the y serve , the true identity an d character o f a modern universit y hinge largel y o n it s system o f governance . Ove r th e last 40 years. The Chinese University ha s persistentl y sought t o perfect it s system of governanc e throug h a process o f rigorou s self-inspection . N o doub t th e present mode l display s man y characteristic s tha t ar e uniquely Th e Chinese University's, but ther e ar e als o attributes tha t i t share s i n commo n w i t h al l mode r n universities. Institutiona l autonom y an d academi c freedom ar e t wo suc h crucial attributes . They ar e also the cornerstone s o f ou r syste m o f governance , ove r wh i ch th e Un i ve r s i t y ha s ma i n t a i ne d a very clea r stance. B u t w h i l e e m p h a s i z i n g i n s t i t u t i o n a l autonomy an d academic freedom, the University ha s never f o r go t t e n it s responsibilitie s t o societ y an d academia. Ther e are , fo r example , mechanism s t o govern different aspect s of the University's activities , including qualit y assuranc e for teaching and research . The recruitment, promotion, reward, and punishmen t of teacher s i n particula r f o l l o w a transparen t an d objective se t of procedures , eac h and ever y membe r of the teaching staff having been recruited via a strict international selectio n exercise. What I w i sh t o poin t out her e i s tha t eve r sinc e th e 1980s , the Universit y has bee n o n th e sam e pa r a s leading institution s i n the U S an d th e U K i n th e c ompe t i t i o n fo r talent , largely becaus e it is abl e t o offe r attractiv e salarie s and provid e a n environment conduciv e t o research . Un i v e r s i ty teacher s i n H o n g K o n g hav e i ndee d enjoyed competitiv e package s fo r th e las t 2 0 years . Yet compa r e d w i t h th e package s o f p r i ma r y an d secondary schoo l teachers here, and those offered b y private organization s o r the learned professions (suc h as doctor s an d lawyers) , the y ar e no t particularl y high; an d compare d w i t h thos e enjoye d by th e civi l servants, the y ar e de f i n i t e l y no t h i gh . The y ar e however hig h enough to have given local universitie s a competitive edg e internationally, an d to have mad e possible th e quantum j ump i n th e qualit y o f tertiar y education i n Ho n g Kon g ove r th e las t t w o decades . W i t h o ut doub t . Th e Chines e Un i v e r s i t y owe s it s impressive developmen t t o th e suppor t o f th e Ho n g Kong governmen t an d the communit y a t large. As a public university , it has derived the bulk o f its income f r om governmen t grants , it has receive d generou s donations f r o m differen t sector s o f th e commun i t y since it s inception , it has als o benefite d f r o m th e wise counse l and unstinting suppor t o f generation s of Un i ve r s i t y Counc i l member s an d th e Colleg e Boards o f Trustees . I t i s obviou s tha t Th e Chines e University's stupendou s g r ow t h in the last 40 years has been inseparable f r o m tha t o f thi s grea t city . From 196 3 to 2003 , the Chines e Universit y ha s stridden shoulder t o shoulder w i th Hong Kong, an d the pe r i o d ha s witnesse d no t onl y th e ris e o f th e University bu t als o Hong Kong and Asia as a whole — a completel y ' n e w Asia ' a s envisage d b y Dr . Ch'ien Mu wh e n h e founded a college o f th e sam e name mor e tha n hal f a century ago . I t i s tru e tha t H o n g K o n g i s n ow i n the throe s o f economic recession and dire fiscal deficits, and the Universit y is faced w i t h hug e budge t slashe s i n th e few year s to come . Both our cit y an d our Universit y hav e r u n i n to r o u g h wea t he r o n th e w a y f o r w a r d . Wh i l e i t is imp r udent t o underestimat e o u r d i f f i c u l t i e s , n e i t h e r s h o u ld w e los e heart . A s a city, H o n g Kong ' s mo d e r n institutions hav e give n it an un r i v a l l ed advantag e i n th e face o f challenge s pose d b y g l oba l i za t i on. A s a t e r t i a ry i n s t i t u t i o n , Th e Ch i n e s e University i s in possession o f huge po t en t i a l s t o elevate itself t o a ye t h i ghe r plane . There i s n o reaso n w h y w e c a n n o t s u r m o u n t t h e difficulties ahead ; ther e i s n o reason why w e canno t rise u p to th e challenge s i n fron t o f us . For 4 0 years. Ho n g K o n g p e o p l e h a v e u n d e r t a k e n t o b u i ld f o r themselves a great Asian city ; suc h efforts w i l l no t stop. We a t The Chines e Universit y hav e likewis e undertaken t o b u i l d a great Asia n university ; ou r efforts shal l never stop . Come w i nd o r rain , we w i l l continue t o forg e ahea d undaunted . Togethe r ou r c i ty a n d ou r U n i v e r s i t y sha l l com e t h r o u g h ; together w e shal l b e greete d b y blu e skie s a s w e march forward . 3 No. 220 19th April 2003