Newsletter No. 330

No. 330, 4.1.2009 齊慶晨興書院動工 Morningside College Celebrates Ground-Breaking • 逾 百大學成員、晨興書院友好及記者出席12月17日 的書院動土儀式，在晨興書院籌劃委員會委員 兼晨興基金會董事陳樂宗博士（ 右圖中 ）、晨興基金會 董事陳啟宗先生（ 左二 ）、中大校董會主席鄭維健博士 （ 右二 ）、劉遵義校長（ 左一 ）及晨興書院候任院長莫理斯 爵士（ 右一 ）主禮後，工程正式展開。而當日儀式也備受傳 媒關注。 晨興書院有賴陳氏家族創立的晨興基金會慷慨捐款成立。 陳啟宗先生表示，「期望晨興書院成為中大校園裏最具國 際特色的書院。」他更強調培育學生服務社會的重要性， 從而使他們超越小我，貢獻社會及世界。 陳樂宗博士解釋晨興基金會決定捐款成立晨興書院，是 肯定大學以教育年輕一代的宗旨。他指出，高等教育應着 重專業培訓，還是維持一貫的傳統通識教育，仍備受爭 議。「晨興書院將維持通識教育的傳統，但也會兼顧學生 的情況及將來面對的挑戰。是以，晨興書院採取小規模教 學，因為有些教育經驗是不可能大規模產生的。」 劉校長表示：「自中大於四十五年前創校至今，書院教育 一直是本科生生活不可或缺的一部分。成立新書院除了證 明我們珍視本校歷史演變上這一重要層面，更標誌着大學 為迎接未來，銳意求變求新的努力和成果。大學對晨興書 院、其學生和畢業生均寄望甚殷。」 晨興書院平均每年可容納三百名學生，計劃於2010年秋季 錄取首批學生。書院致力培養和睦親切的師生群體，以及 只有在小型、團結的群體中才可形成的學習風格。書院採 用全宿共膳模式，院長及學生皆於書院住宿及用膳。莫理 斯爵士說：「我們希望來自境外的學生可佔顯著比例，同時 也吸納本地的各式精英。」書院亦會廣邀來自大學及海內 外的學者和專業人士到訪，分享經驗。 晨興書院非常感謝各界對書院的支持，特別是香港思源基 金會及The Starr Foundation的慷慨捐助。 O ver 100 members of the University, supporters of Morningside College, and reporters attended the ground-breaking ceremony for the College on 17 December. Officiating at the ceremony were Dr. Gerald L. Chan (above, centre), member of the Planning Committee for Morningside College and director of the Morningside Foundation; Mr. Ronnie C. Chan (2nd left), director of the Morningside Foundation; Dr. Edgar W.K. Cheng (2nd right), Chairman of the Council, CUHK; Prof. Lawrence J. Lau (1st left), Vice-Chancellor, CUHK; and Prof. Sir James Mirrlees, Master-Designate of Morningside College (1st right). The event was well reported by the media. Morningside College was created with generous gifts from the Morningside Foundation which was set up by the Chan Family. Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Ronnie C. Chan expressed the hope that ‘Morningside College will become the most international place on the whole campus.‘ He also stressed the importance of fostering a culture of service so that students can move beyond self-interest to become engaged citizens in their communities and the wider world. Dr. Gerald L. Chan explained that the Morningside Foundation’s decision to endow Morningside College was intended to affirm that the most fundamental mission of any university has always been to teach young people. He noted the running debate about whether higher education should be vocational in nature or remain true to the tradition of liberal education. ‘At Morningside College, we stand to defend this liberal tradition,‘ he said, ‘and yet we do it in such a way of also taking care of the realism of young people today and the very challenging future that they will face.‘ The College will be small by design, he added. ‘We believe that certain aspects of the education experience cannot be mass-produced.’ ‘Undergraduate colleges have been a part of life at the Chinese University since our inception four and a half decades ago,‘ noted Prof. Lau. ’The creation of a new college is thus an affirmation of an important dimension of our history and evolution as an institution, as well as an indication of our ability and willingness to change and innovate well into the future. We have very high hopes for Morningside College, and for its students and graduates.’ The new College is expected to accept its first students in the fall of 2010, and will accommodate a total of 300 students each year at equilibrium. The College hopes to foster a high level of intimacy among students and faculty, and a style of learning that is only possible in a small, cohesive community. Students will reside and dine in the College, as will the College Master. ’We intend to have a large proportion of students from outside Hong Kong as well as a good sample of excellent local students,’ said Prof. Mirrlees. There will also be frequent distinguished visitors to the College from all walks of life and all parts of the world. The College is grateful for the support it received, including the generous donations from the Si Yuan Foundation and The Starr Foundation. 書院園景模擬圖 Projected garden view