CO129-524-2 Hong Kong University- financial position- Chinese studies- future of the Chinese school and the Annual... 27-1-1930 - 12-8-1930 — Page 41

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HONG KONG UNIVERSITY.

The Proposed Chinese School.

Prominent among the University's ambition is the

desire to found a School of Chinese. The idea of this

School if that it should not only teach Chinese Classics

and attempt the comparative study of Chinese history,

philosophy and law, but also be a place of Chinese inst-

ruction to Britishers who are going to work in China It

is incredible that the readjustment of China to the ex-

igencies of modern life, as one of the great powers of the

world, should involve a complete break with those traditions

of culture and civilization which have endured through

centuries and are the basis of her national character. It

was an integral part of the University's original conception

that this Chinese work should be one of its chief functions.

But the University's programme had to be curtailed for lack

of funds and Chinese studies were unfortunately practically

discontinued. In 1926 the Vice-Chancellor visited Malaya

and collected $40,000 from the Chinese there. With this a

beginning was made but the money has now all been spent.

Some money has since been raised from the Hong Kong Chinese,

but not enough to justify the University in making Chinese

studies a permanent part of its curriculum. The revenues

of the Government of Hong Kong are but gradually recovering