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CHINA REPORT
(d) The University of Hong Kong.
It was agreed in the Exchange of Notes of September, 1930, that the University of Hong Kong should be granted, out of the accumulated funds standing to the credit of the Indemnity, the sum of £265,000" for the education of Chinese students". We understand (though the fact is not stated in the official correspondence) that £15,000 of this sum was actually owed to the University by the Chinese authorities for Government scholarships, payments in respect of which had fallen into arrear. The net amount accruing to the University was therefore a quarter of a million sterling. We also understand that owing to the disastrous fall in the value of silver, and the consequent necessity of supplementing the salaries of the staff, only a small proportion of this money will be available for the ordinary purposes of the University or for the maintenance, and extension of its work. For these and general reasons we are strongly of opinion that the grant of £250,000, which is very far from meeting the urgent financial needs of the University, should not be regarded as entitling the Board of Trustees to leave the University of Hong Kong out of consideration when or if it finds itself in a position to act upon the promise given by Dr. C. T. Wang " to deal with the funds in harmony with the general views set forth" in the Willingdon Report. (References to and recommendations regarding the University in that Report will be found on pages 21, 133-134, and in Appendix C (10), pp. 178-179.)
Although this is a matter which hardly comes within our province, we suggest that if further grants from the indemnity fund are forth- coming, part of the money should be used for the purpose of attracting students from the mainland of China through the medium of scholar- ships. This would be in complete conformity with what has been described as the chief aim of the founders of the university—to strengthen the cultural ties with China". This observation occurs in a recent minute (dated August 5th, 1931) written by Mr. L. Forster, Professor of Education in the University, who, while advocating a great extension of the scholarship system, points out that Hong Kong is a suitable centre for training students from the mainland in that there is still the background of China, with orderly government with security and example of honest public administration provided by the British". The influence which Hong Kong as a cultural centre is capable, under suitable conditions, of exerting over the interior of China is vividly illustrated by the following account of what he observed during a visit to the south-western province of Yunnan :—
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"I was very much impressed last summer when I was up in Yunnanfu, which is a considerable distance inland, by the wave of excitement which spread over the town when the examination was held for the selection of three candidates for the University course in Hong Kong. It was a magnificent advertisement for this country.
The Consul and his secretary gave the test to over
80 candidates. Five schools at least claimed the honour of educating the successful scholars, who at once became the most important and the most envied of all students. If this could be repeated in the main centres of China we would soon achieve a higher cultural position in that country, and so realise the wishes expressed in the report of the Economic Mission to the Far East."
It would be out of place to give details here of Mr. Forster's scholarship scheme, which will no doubt receive the careful attention of the University authorities when funds are available from the indemnity or other sources. It may be added, however, that although the system of sending immature Chinese students abroad to British or other foreign universities is not always in the best interests of the students themselves or of China, this observation does not apply to the case of Chinese students going from the mainland of China to Hong Kong. Hong Kong is geographically and socially part of China, and the students who go there are not, to any appreciable extent, -to use Sir Thomas H. Holland's handicapped in their work words already quoted-" by the distractions of a strange social as well as a new academic atmosphere ".
Although it is out of the question for the Universities' China Committee to assign any part of its slender income to the University of Hong Kong for scholarships or any other purpose, we are strongly of opinion that an effort should be made to encourage the University to co-operate with the Committee as far as may be found feasible in connection with our proposed scheme of lectureships and fellowships. It should not be found impossible to arrange that British lecturers coming to China should visit the University of Hong Kong and give a few lectures there; nor should members of the existing British professorial staff in Hong Kong be debatred from becoming candidates for either lectureships or fellowships for purposes of lecturing or research in China. We discussed these and kindred topics with the vice-chancellor, Sir William Hornell, and we gathered from him that his University would be glad to participate in the scheme; indeed he thought it would be a slight to the University and injurious to British interests in China if Hong Kong were ignored. A suggestion
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