Vice-Chancellor's Report 1985-87

During th e pas t severa l year s I an d m y colleague s hav e repeatedl y appealed t o th e Governmen t fo r adoptin g a mor e positiv e attitud e toward s research an d postgraduat e educatio n i n universities ; w e ar e no w heartene d t o learn tha t severa l commission s appointe d b y th e Governmen t itsel f hav e als o come t o th e sam e conclusion , an d a s a matte r o f fac t concret e proposal s fo r significantly increasin g financia l suppor t fo r researc h hav e alread y bee n submitted to th e Government . You r Excellency , yo u hav e i n you r recen t Annua l Address t o th e Legislativ e Counci l give n considerabl e suppor t t o th e expansio n of highe r education ; migh t w e no t als o hop e tha t yo u woul d fin d i t possibl e t o give equall y stron g suppor t t o thes e proposal s fo r expandin g researc h work ? Ladies an d Gentlemen , whil e i t i s tru e tha t I a m b y n o mean s a banker , I woul d nevertheles s b e quit e willin g t o guarante e t o yo u tha t t o develo p additional engineering educatio n an d t o increas e suppor t fo r researc h wil l b e tw o long-term investment s i n th e futur e o f Hon g Kong , whic h ar e absolutel y saf e and profitable . May I no w tur n t o th e futur e o f Hon g Kong . I believ e i t i s generall y agreed tha t man y pressin g problem s o f th e da y ar e reall y closel y relate d t o th e prospects o f th e future . I t i s therefor e onl y whe n on e take s a trul y lon g vie w can th e ke y t o suc h problem s b e mastered . Thi s i s no t t o sa y tha t tomorrow' s or nex t year' s profi t margi n an d Han g Sen g Inde x ar e unimportant ; i t i s rathe r to sa y th e followin g poin t i s eve n mor e important : tha t is , Hon g Kon g mus t first chang e fro m a divide d an d lopside d societ y t o a trul y integrate d moder n society i f i t i s t o broade n th e bas e o n whic h it s prosperit y an d stabilit y ar e built, an d onl y the n woul d i t b e possibl e fo r Hon g Kon g t o creat e fo r itsel f those objectiv e condition s unde r whic h i t ca n hav e a mor e permanen t existence and continu e t o thrive . Thi s the n i s th e ke y t o th e problems . I n The Analects Confuciu s says , ‘th e practic e o f benevolenc e depend s o n onesel f alone, an d no t o n others' , whic h refer s t o th e righ t attitud e fo r a ma n rathe r than a society , bu t i s perhap s stil l no t a n inappropriat e footnot e t o th e ke y point I hav e jus t discussed . For Hon g Kon g t o reall y becom e a n integrate d moder n society , tw o policies ar e essential . Th e firs t i s a familiar one : Hon g Kon g ha s lon g pursue d a polic y o f maintainin g a free, ope n societ y whic h i s equally receptiv e t o different cultures an d way s o f thinking . Thi s polic y give s i t a unique advantag e ove r its competitors , an d thi s i s th e secre t b y whic h Hon g Kon g rapidl y learn s fro m other advance d countrie s an d maintain s it s momentu m o f progress . I t woul d not b e difficul t fo r al l o f u s here t o agre e that , whethe r i n th e pas t o r i n future , whoever ca n lea d Hon g Kon g mus t surel y als o b e thos e wh o ca n trul y comprehend the reaso n fo r tha t polic y an d continu e t o pu t i t int o practice . T o fai l to d o s o woul d soo n thro w Hon g Kon g ou t o f touc h w i t h it s time , an d als o destroy th e uniqu e catalyti c rol e whic h i t ha s s o successfull y playe d betwee n China an d th e res t o f th e world . On th e othe r hand , i t i s also my convictio n tha t th e futur e o f Hong Kon g and it s progres s ar e inseparabl e fro m th e educatio n o f it s people ; an d th e education of th e fiv e millio n Chines e i n Hon g Kon g i s i n tur n inseparabl e fro m th e Chinese languag e an d Chines e culture . Thi s i s because , apar t fro m th e pursui t of economi c growth , a trul y mode m societ y a s suc h mus t t o a considerabl e extent harmoniz e an d integrat e th e divers e cultures , view s an d valu e system s o f its members . Tha t i s the requisit e conditio n fo r cohesio n t o develop , fo r a sense of belongin g t o it s geographica l local e t o grow , an d fo r th e emergenc e o f common will an d judgmen t whereb y th e communit y a s a whol e ca n ris e t o ne w challenges pose d b y changin g circumstances . Tha t i s wh y th e Universit y ha s 26