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British auspices, but in fact the high cost of that education and the res- tricted number of scholarships have hitherto mainly confined it to a relatively small number of rich Chinese, especially from the affluent Chinese communities from Malaya and the South Seas. I feel strongly, therefore, that in the future Hong Kong University should be in a position to provide high-rade British University training both for graduates and undergraduates with meagre financial resources and that, for this purpose, there should be a much larger number of bursarships and postgraduate research scholarships together with an extension of hostel facilities.
The Development of Humanistic Studies
In their discussion of the specific academic activities of the University in the future Dr. J. Needham and Dr. G. King naturally and rightly stress the importance of scientific and medical education, but
I wish to supplement their recommendations by an ernest plea for a parallel and equal development of humanistic studies. This is partly on the ground that every university worthy of the name is truely catholic and compre- hensive in the range of its intellectual activities and that the "Humanities" can never be subordinated without grave peril. to the work and value of the
Chinking But I am also of the situation that is university as a whole.
in likely to develop in China. Nothing, I think is more certain than that the ambitious programme of industrialisation which is now planned for this country will involve acute economic and social problems and that on their study and solution will largely depend the extent to which industrialisation will be blessing or a curse to China. There is immense scope for well equipped and active university departments of economics, social science In some of the and political science, both for teaching and research. best Chinese Universities there are promising departments of this character but it would be the special province of such departments in Hong Kong University to make available to Chinese students and research workers the best experience and thought of Great Britain in these fields. Under Professor Hinton the Economics department of Hong Kong acquired a well earned reputation, and I hope that its activities will be revived and extended and that there will be parallel developments of departments of Social Science and Political Science. Hong Kong would also be an excellext! centre for the establishment of a Chair and research department of International Affairs (including trade and banking) with the Far East as special field. The need for such a centre in the Far East has often been felt by Chatham House (R.I.I.A.) and the British groups participating in the I.P.R. Conferences.
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The reputation of Hong Kong graduates for a high standard of spoken and written English should be maintained at all costs, and the Education Department, also well-known, can play an extremely important
With an increased staff. role in training Middle School teachers for China. and equipment it could serve some of the functions of the London Institute The number of of Education by giving postgraduate and refresher courses. scholarships for Chinese students of education wishing to study at the London Institute is likely to be quite insufficient and in my judgement several
The advice of Sir Fred should be offered for similar study at Hong Kong • Clarke who has recently retired from the direction of the London Institute of Education, might be invaluable in this connection and indeed on the whole question of the development of humanistic studies in Hong Kong University.
.
Miss A.M. Ruston,
Colonial Office,
Whitehall, London, S.W. 1.
Yours sincerely,
•Percy In Roxby.