CO129-531-11 Hong Kong University- general and financial points 14-9-1931 - 8-11-1931 — Page 14

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All

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danger of not having her fair share of trade with China. Any students sent to Great Britain should be carefully selected and it should be ascertained that they would ultimately return to China. There was a real need for an educational and cultural contact between Great Britain and China.

Frofessor Soothill said that a University must be judged by the character of the pupils which it sent out. He asked whether Hong Kong University came up to standard in this respect and if it was definitely giving the engineering students more than they could receive from the other Universities. If not, then it would only be regarded as a second-rate University.

r. Calder explained that the Hong Kong Government contributed nearly $400,000 per annum to the University and were not in a position to give more money A certain amount was received in fees, but the majority of the students had scholarships. The University had always been struggling against financial difficulties.

Sir James Currie asked if any financial help could be obtained from Europeans in Hong Kong. There

a general feeling that not much additional help could at present be expected from that quarter.

Lord Lugard, in reply to a question from the Chairman, said that those Chinese students who had re- turned to their own country from the United States brought back a geniune enthusiasm for, and belief in all things which emanated from there. They did not return from Great Britain with similar feelings about this country.

a way of

The Chairman said that the Committee were agreed that it was most desirable to do anything that could be done to increase British trade and influence in China, but he felt some doubt as to how far this general question came within the Committee's ambit. The difficulty on which they were asked to advise was that of finding, through educational means, achieving the desired end. One suggestion was that provision should be made for scholarships from China to Hong Kong University and post-graduate scholarships from China to British Universities. He asked Dr. Lindsay whether such scholarships could be given out of the £200,000 placed at the disposal of the Universities China Committee from the Boxer Indemnity

Fund.

Dr. Lindsay said that the Universities China Committee could not come to any decision until a deputa- tion which was visiting China to examine the situation had returned home and reported. This would probably not be till about June, 1932. At present therefore it was impossible to say how the £200,000 would be expended. It was intended for the benefit of Chinese Universities as a whole, but, speaking for himself, he thought that a certain amount might be allocated to Hong Kong University, while some of it would probably be used for the benefit of Chinese students in Great Britain. The deputation of which Sir Reginald Johnstone was a member would visit Hong Kong.

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