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Miscellaneous.
85. We have been conscious throughout our inquiry that the old tradition of China in the matter of the aim and object of education still to a great extent persists even in such a modern environment as that of the Hong Kong University. By this we mean the tradition that the passing of a difficult examination is the ultimate goal, and that on the strength of such an achievement the successful scholar may expect to face the rest of life with the equanimity which assured position and a steady in- come secure. We do not pretend that our graduates are like those aspirants to office in pre-Revolutionary China who continued, often until late in life, to strive for the material rewards of scholarship. But we are sensible of a feeling that graduation is an end in itself rather than a mere milestone on the road of prepara- tion for life.
86. We are therefore of the opinion that the "University Employment Com- mittee ", which we observe to exist in the pages of the University Calendar, should come to life and set itself to devise means by which students might be helped to secure suitable employment after graduation. We think, moreover, that this Com- mittee might be improved by a wider personnel, such for example as representative Chinese officials, leaders in China's educational service, distinguished Hong Kong graduates, and the like.
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87. We are also conscious of what is perhaps another phase of the same tendency, namely that the University seems to lose touch too readily with its students after graduation. The University is still young and it is hardly to be expected that there will yet be much in the way of sentimental attraction. But we feel that any- thing which can be done to foster Alumni Associations cannot fail to bear fruit. It is chiefly so that fresh students can be attracted; and the time might even come when such graduates might be disposed to give practical effect to their loyalty by combining to provide scholarships or in many other ways. But the loyalty must first be there.
88. As regards the recruitment of teaching staff we cannot but feel that the University has become too stereotyped in its methods; there are whole-time lecturers recruited from home for life; there are some whole-time lecturers recruited for a short term of years; there are local part-time lecturers; and there are a few Hong Kong graduates. We do not wish to say more than that certain other avenues are at least worthy of exploration:(a) interchange of teachers with the leading Chinese Universities; (b) temporary employment of some of the lecturers sent out to China by the "Universities' China Committee'; (c) arrangements with certain local mis- sionary bodies (notably the Jesuits) who may have persons fully qualified for lectureships, etc.
89. In our opinion "Study Leave" has sometimes been accorded in the past with too little consideration. There should, for example, obviously be safeguards to prevent an officer of the University obtaining at its expense certain qualifications and, by his early resignation, reaping the benefits himself; we understand that Government servants are more strictly bound in this respect than the University staff. But apart from this we feel that for Hong Kong the initial qualifications required should generally suffice without the expense of further long courses of study in England.
90. We recommend that the Finance Committee should carefully scrutinize the existing rules regarding passages. The number of children to be carried at the University's expense may need definition; and we think that it is possible that there are cases where the grant of a Second Class passage instead of First Class might not be inconsistent with the dignity of the University.
91. We recommend that in future no benefaction in the form of a new building should be accepted unless it is accompanied by an adequate endowment for its main- tenance and upkeep.
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