Bulletin Spring‧Summer 1991

shoulders. Dr. Li, however, much enjoyed his work in the States and turned down the offer at first. But he finally accepted the challenge at the earnest prompting of various parties. The University of California at Berkeley, at the request of both the governments in London and Washington D.C., then granted Dr. L i a most exceptional and indeed unprecedented 10-year leave of absence, where formerly the absolute rule had been two years at the maximum. So, in 1963, Dr. L i became the first vice-chancellor of the new Chinese University, and also the first scholar of Chinese origin ever to become vice-chancellor of a local university. Fifteen Years of Ha r d Wo r k The formative years were of course the most difficult years, but Dr. Li was never daunted by any difficulty. On the contrary, the more difficult the task, the more determined he was to carry it out. He postponed time after time his return to the States upon the expiration of the leave period. In fact, he didn't return until 15 years later. Dr. Li said, ‘I stayed because I wanted to take up the challenge. To build a new university from scratch in the latter half of the 20th century was indeed a very big challenge.' As expected, Dr. L i succeeded in overcoming all difficulties. Within 15 years, a barren hill top in M a Liu Shui was transformed into a picturesque and famous university town on the hills, and the University became a higher education institution of international repute. Dr. L i had not only built The Chinese University, he had brought about a completely new outlook for higher education in Hong Kong. ' I stayed because I wanted to take up the challenge. To build a new university from scratch in the latter half of the 20th century was indeed a very big challenge.' Lofty Education Ideals When Dr. Li agreed to head the new university, he set his mind on an ideal. He dreamt of building a modern international university for the Chinese people. Dr. Li himself had first-hand experience of the education traditions both in China and the West, and he fully appreciated the merits of the university systems in the UK and the USA. However, he wanted to avoid indiscriminate patterning after the Western model, which many universities in Asia were doing. His ideal university was one that could combine the T he Chinese University will not be a British university, nor will it be a "Chinese" university or an American university. It will be an institution of international character. ， best of both the East and the West, and one that was designed to cater for the unique requirements of Hong Kong. He fully understood and respected the diversity of the University's three constituent colleges: New Asia upholding the Confucian concept of education, Chung Chi being Christian in outlook, and United being Hong Kong-oriented in its pragmatic approach to education. All through his vice-chancellorship Dr. Dr. CM. Li (right), Dr. C.T. Yung of Chung Chi College (middle), and Dr. Ch'ien Mu of New Asia College (left) Li tried his best to cement their complementary characteristic and to achieve a new synthesis. Dr. Li emphasized the University's international character when he was officially inaugurated vice-chancellor of the University in 1964， while his inaugural speech was delivered eloquently in Chinese. He said repeatedly, Dr. C.M. Li being installed as the University's first vice-chancellor in 1964 ‘The Chinese University will not be a British university, nor will it be a "Chinese" university or an American university. It will be an institution of international character.' Dr. D.C. Williams, president of the University of Western Ontario in the 1970s, described Dr. Li as 'an internationalist who, in his person, exemplifies the meeting o f East and West.' What Dr. L i aspired to do was in fact to make the University a bridge not only between the East and the West, but also between modernity and tradition. With such an ideal in mind, he stressed right from the beginning the principle of bilingualism in the University's teaching and research activities. He always said that the University's name carries a In Memory of Dr. C. M. Li 4