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1.
PART II.
The University of Hong Kong was created in 1911. It incorporated the existing College of Medicine, which had been founded in 1886 by Sir Patrick Manson and Sir James Cantlie. The purposes of the University were defined in the ordinance of 30th March, 1911, as "the promotion of Arts, Science and Learning, the provision of higher education, the conferring of degrees, the development and formation of the character of students of all races, nationalities and creeds, and the maintenance of good understanding with the neighbouring country of China. In September 1941, the University included Faculties of Arts, Science, Medicine and Engineering, and had a student enrolment of approximately 600, of whom about 120 were women.
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2. At the outbreak of the Pacific war, a small number of the students were granted war-time degrecs, and the others were given certifica- tion of their completed studies. Nearly two-thirds of them succeeded eventually in reaching Free China, and of these most were enabled to continue study in Chinese universities and colleges, partly as a result of arrange- ments made by a member of the University staff who escaped from internment to organize the work. The buildings were severely but not irreparably damaged. Almost all equipment and fittings were destroyed or looted, but the contents of the libraries have survived nearly intact. Through deaths, retirement or other causes, only twelve out of the pre-war total of thirty- two senior posts on the staff are occupied: and of 21 posts previously held by Europeans only 6 now are occupied.
3. By its terms of reference the Committee was invited "to make a recommendation as to whether or not the University as such should continue to exist. The Committec had before them urgent requests for the early re- opening of the University from the Commander-in-Chief, Hong Kong, from the Chief Officer of the Civil Affairs Administration, from Sir Mark Young shortly before his departure from the United Kingdom to take up his duties as Governor, from leading Chinese residents in the Colony, and from associa- tions of old students. It was evident that a decision to close the Univer-
lakudame.sity would cause bitter disappointment, and the Committee itself was decision naturally reluctant to contemplate such a drastic course.
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Nevertheless the Committee realized that an occasion like the present was not likely to recur, There is now a choice of continuing or ending the University.
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The Committee
recommend continuation only if the University can achieve purposes that are sufficient to justify the expense and great effort involved. The Committee also decided that a recommendation to reopen the University would mean its permanent, or at least indefinite continuation, since a temporary extension of its existence for a limited period was not a practical possibility,
4. The Committee considered whether the higher education needs of Hong Kong itself justified the reopening of the University. On the criterion of the appropriace area to be served by a university, suggested by the Asquith Commission (Cmd. 6647, page 13), namely capacity to supply an adequate flow of students able to profit from higher education, the Committee judged that at present and in the predictable future Hong Kong conditions by them- selves did not justify a university, On the basis of the quantitative test of the local needs for, or capacity to absorb the products of, a full university, the Committee also julgel that the Colony itself did not require the restoration of the University. The Colony's needs of teachers, doctors and other professional specialists could be met by far less expensive means by a college of medicine, training colleges, and technical institutions, combined with a scheme of scholarships to universities overseas for a selected number of students.
5. An analysis of student registrations in the period 1928-38 showed that about 40 per cent. of the Chinese students came from overcoas, particu- larly from Malaya. The Committee considered therefore whether it would be justifiable to restore the University to continue to serve the needs of these Overseas Chinese. The evidence before the Committee suggested that,though there was recognition of the strong influence in the Chinese family organiza- tion in favour of the formative years being spent in China or at least in a Chinese cnvironment, the majority of these students came to Hong Kong because