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cellor. The last eight to hold office for three years, but to be eligible for nomina. tion for a further period. The Court will elect annually from its num- bers a treasurer and honorary secretary, and also a pro-chancellor who will take the place of the chancellor in his absouce. The Council shall consist of about 17 or 18 members (including the pro and vice. chancellors) under the presidency of the chancellor, namely :-
Four of the Government official men.bers of the Court (probably the Registrar General, Director of Education, Director of Public Works, and Principal Civil Medical Officer).
Four English (other than the above) and four Chinese Members of the Court elected by the Lourt.
Four professors elected by the Senate, The Senate shall consist of all the professors of the University under the presidency of the
vice-Chancellor.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
7. That the fees charged to students shall not exceed $300 per annum, the charges for main- | tenance being limited if possible to a like amount. 8. That if the scheme for a University should fail of realisation all subscriptions shall be re- turned to the donors.
9. That subscribers of $500 and upwards will have their names inscribed on a tablet in the wall of the Hall of the, University in order according to the amount given. Subscribers of $10,000 to the Endowment Fund may have one scholar at a time at the University without payment of fees (or alternatively without pay. ment for board) provided he is duly qualified! by passing the entrance examination. The privilege lapses during any period that such free scholar is at. the University. For each additional $10.000 another scholar may be nominated on the same conditions up to a maxi. mum of our provided that the total number of scholars who are admitted without fees (or withour payment for board) shall not at present exceed 50. A subscriber of 50.000 shall in addition to the above be entitled to have a framed portrait or a bust of himself in the Hall of the University of such dimensions and so placed as the committee may determine. A subscriber of $100.00 + will in addition be made a life member of the Governing body. Any qualified donor who desires to exercise any or all of those privileges must do so at the time he gives his subscription. Any provincial city town or village in or out of China may exercise the like privileges so far as they are applicable, but the scholars can only be nominated by the properly acredited representatives of the sub- scribers.
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On the death of a douor entitled to nominate one or more scholars under the above conditions, - the right of nomination may be exercised by his legal heir or representative, provided that the name of such heir or representative shall be notified to the Court within a year of the death of the donor. Failing such notification the right of nomination shall lapse to the Court who may exercise it or pot at their discretion.
10 That as at present advised the committee no objection tb students of the University residing outside the precincts of the University in hostels established by religious bodies under supervision approved by the Court of the Uni; versity, and subject to such regulations as the "Court may prescribe. The committee is cpposed to students of the University residir elsewhere than within the University or in an approved hostel
11. That the first two faculties or chairs established at the University shall be for medicine and engineering, and that so soon as the funds of the University admit of the estab- lishment of a chair or faculty preference shall be given to an Arts Course: and that in this course due provision shall be made to enable Chinese students to maintain and improve their knowledge of the Chinese language and of the literature of China.
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prospect of success, with a petition for the grant of a Royal Charter.
[August 2, 1909.
I have also received a joint communication from certain Hongkong Chinese merchants, Ho Kai, Wei Yuk and others conched in earnest terms praying for my support.
interior of China. But as the initial cost and subsequent expenditure would be considerable 13. That in passing the previous resolutions he asked for my assistance and co-operation in to give effect to the project of establishing a raising the necessary funds. He also forward- University in Hongkong the committee under-ed me a memorandum on the proposed scheme stands that the object of such a University will and other papers. be to afford a higher education, more espécially in subjects of practical utility, such as applied science, medicine, etc., on the lines of such universities as Leeds and Birmingham, and to confer degrees of a standard not inferior: to those conferred by such universities in Great, Britain develop and form the character of students no less than their intellectual faculties, to offer equal facilities for students of all races; to extend the knowledge of the English lan- guage in the Far East; and to promote a good understanding with the neighbouring Empire of China.
With regard to the above resolutions the fol. lowing statement was made by the Chairman, and recorded in the proceedings of the fourth meeting:
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Any decision taken or views recorded by the committee are subject to revision, either by the committee itself, in the light of further information, or later by the Legislative Council when the Ordinance setting up the University is introduced, or by the Governing Bodies when appointed.”
LETTER FROM SIR ROBERT HART.
Among the correspondeuce published is the following letter from Sir Robert Hart:
38, Cadogan Place,
London, S. W.. 28th June, 1909. Dear Sir Frederick Lugard. Your note of the 26th May re University schemes has come and I reply briefly.
(a.) The Emergency Committee did not propose to establish a University, but to collect £100,000 for the support of existing centres, medical and literary.
(b) Lord William Cecil and friends have been considering the advisability and possibility of creating a University: they asked my views and I said either assist existing schools to grow or go to China and sound for yourselves.
The Guildhall meeting bad the first (a) in
view and not the second (b),
(c) Your Hongkong scheme is excellent and deserves the fullest support, and it promises much that will do real good. There is. however, room for the other proposals and the question is how to finance all three, The Emergency idea is not yet gather. ing much money the other proposal will not be usefully carried out unless Chinese official sympathy is secured: the (c) scheme (Hongkong) seems to have official and private sympathy and almost cer- tainly in the matter of funds, and I hope it will go into operation soon and success- fully. My own sympathies are with all three, for I think each, if carried out, will certainly be useful in its time and place, but I regard the Hongkong scheme as the most practically promising, and applied science will suit the Chinese requirements of the day; at the same time, character is of the utmost importance, and I am glad to see that all three schemes give that idea such prominence.
In these matters I am rather a“ `figured-1ead*** than a working man: my health having only been of a so and-so kind since my return to England. I hope what I have said will suffice.-Yours sincerely,
ROBERT HART.
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I have perused more than once all the doon- ments which I have received from Hongkong relating to the proposed scheme. The project appears to have for its principal object the com- plote training of persons of ability who will be of real use to us in our industrial and commercial enterprises.
The teaching of applied science, including civil, mechanical and electrical engineering and surveying, meets the present and most urgent faculty of medicine is most important as it need of our country, and the institution of a
works for the improvement of sanitation and the preservation of health.
sity the literature of our country will not bẹ In the Arts Course of the proposed Univer- neglected. The standard of its entrance and of its degrees and the quality of its training will differ in no respect from those of the British Universities. The scheme seems indeed to be excellently planned.
Moreover, I am pleased with the several ad- vantages which, in my humble opinion, such a scheme offers.
an
Firstly.-Up to the present time our country has not a properly organised institution to im part a professional and technical training to our people, though the establishment of such institution has long become an urgent necessity. The minds of most young men from noble or wealthy families are bent on official rauks and adverse to laborious studies so that they all turn their attention to the study of politics.
Whereas ambitious youths of tho pourer classes though willing to go through a course of professional and technical training, are in want of means and a suitable place for their training. Once the Hongkong Univer- sity is established, the cost being moderate and the locality close at hand, it is possible for every Chinese youth to join it.
Secondly. Since in China itself there is no such properly organised institution for pro fessional and technical training, we are com pelled to send our students thousands of uiles away from their native land to Europe or America, where official supervision is rendered ineffectual and parental control nugatory, Besides in youth the character is not yet properly formed, and some of the students may, through idleness or through indulgence to excess in amusements, become lazy in their work, others from want of proper control and restraint drift into immoral and loose habits, and of late students residing abroad have caused us the greatest anxiety. On the other hand, Hong- kong is so close to us that our young men who went there to study would be almost within sight and hearing of their superiors, parents and elders
Thirdly-In our country we have at present no specialists who have a profound knowledge of technical and scientific subjects, and what- ever professors we may require have had to be engaged from abroad, and that merely on their reputation and without actual knowledge of their true qualities. As a rule scholars who have a good character and great learning are disinclined to accept our invitation and come to a distant land like China where the mode of living differs The Papers published include besides the so much from that observed in the West. But letters from the Viceroy of Canton, of which in the Hongkong University the professors summaries have previously been published, the are to be engaged by the British themselves following translation of a despatch from the who have better and easier meaus of inquiry Viceroy of Canton to the chief officials of the and of distinguishing between the properly various Government Bureaux under his furis-qualified and the incompetent. They are sure diction requesting them to meet and discuss means to raise subscriptions in aid of the Hong. kong University Endowment Fund-
VICEROY CHANG'S SUPPORT OF THE SCHEME
12. That steps shall be taken forthwith to ascertain under what conditions any English University will be prepared to conduct the final Gentlemen.-I have the honour to acquaint examination of under-graduates of the Houg you that sometime ago I received a letter from kong University and to confer their degrees the Governor of Hongkone. Sir Frederick upon them for such period as the Cuurt av Lugard, informing me of a proposal to establish desire to avail themselves of this method. Anda University in Hongkong which, when found. also that steps shall be taken to ascertain under what conditions His Majesty in Council may be #pproached when the time comes, with any
ed, would devote special attention to profes- sional and technical training, and would pro- vide special facilities for students from the
not to permit a responsible, position to be occupied by an inferior man and thus to tarnish the fair name of their institution. Those professors who have already gained a reputa- tion will be glad to join the staff, Hongkong being a British Colony and the social condi- tions there similar to those to which they have been accustomed. With a properly qualified staff of professors we may look forward with assurance to the successful training of the students.