Vice-Chancellor's Report 1978-82

vigour and fresh styles, and set in motion a gradual change in the tone and tempo of the administration. Since at the beginning of the period covered the University was already fifteen years old, and the first generation of the University's leaders were retiring, such a change was all but natural. As already mentioned, the University had a tradition and policy of actively fostering international links for academic cooperation, and indeed there had been active exchange programmes wi th many overseas institutions from our earliest days. These programmes were further strengthened and expanded during the past several years and, in addition, international conferences and seminars which were organized by our colleagues and held on campus have also significantly increased. But perhaps the most important development in this direction was increased academic exchanges and cooperation with China. Consequent upon the change of political climate in 1976 ， China had become much more ready to establish links with the outside. Since 1978 an increasing number of our teachers had been invited to visit institutions of higher learning in China, to conduct training courses and to discuss development strategy. At the same time, more and more Chinese academics, education administrators as well as experts in other fields have come to visit the University. Hong Kong at this time was also taking a long and careful look at its policy on higher education. The Committee to Review Post- Secondary and Technical Education was appointed in November 1980 and submitted its report to Government in June 1981. This was followed by a Visiting Panel who was commissioned to make a comprehensive review of the entire education system of Hong Kong. It was expected that important changes and new directions of development would be recommended, and these might well have implications for the University. The University and Polytechnic Grants Committee itself had also recommended that, i n response to urgent community need, the University should develop at an accelerated pace in the years ahead in several practical fields, particularly medicine, teacher training and social work. Thus, after a period of adjustment and self-examination, the University was again on the eve of a major expansion and development when it reached the end of the period covered. 6