4
33
Extinct.
from
appened
minute's
of 901
meeting of
a. ce.c
held
20.1.39.
MR. MAYHEW reported as follows:
(i) Hong Kong University.When the Report of the University Committee (1937) was published last year it had aroused opposition in certain quarters in the Colony, and had given rise to a suggestion by the Advisory Committee that a review of its findings, and of the whole question of University policy, in the light of expert opinion from this country was needed.
This suggestion had been communicated by the Secretary of State, shortly after publication of the Report, to the Hong Kong Government, which deprecated such a course at present on the grounds that there was definite evidence of the existence in Hong Kong of a strong public opinion against any delay in proceeding with the internal reforms of the University which had been recommended, and that, if there were any suspicion that the Report were to be side-tracked, the result might be the resignation of most of the European unofficial members of the Court and Council of the University, and possibly also of certain of the Chinese members.
For this reason, and in view of the concurrence of both the Governor and the Vice-Chancellor in the action which was proposed to be taken by the University authorities on the Report, it had been decided to adopt the Governor's strong. recommendation that the suggestion of an enquiry by outside experts in the near future should not be pursued for the time being. It had been felt that the Secretary of State was properly able to rely on the Governor's judgment and knowledge of local conditions, and on the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor's expert knowledge of University affairs under Eastern conditions.
It should be noted, however, that the possibility of a more comprehensive enquiry by a Commission representing outside expert opinion had not been abandoned altogether. At the same time, since the future of the University was intimately affected by its relations with South China, it was felt that such an enquiry would be more valuable when peaceful conditions had again been established in that area.