CO129-538-1 Hong Kong University 31-12-1931 - 6-8-1932 — Page 151

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

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CHINA REPORT

Dr. T. C. Chao will in any case be in England during 1932-3. Dr. Tsu, who has been Professor of Sociology at St. John's University, Shanghai, is desirous of studying the co-operative movement in England and could probably come in the autumn of 1932. It is understood that if he were appointed to a lectureship he would be content with living expenses only. Dr. V. K. Ting, who was educated at Cambridge and Glasgow and in Germany, was formerly head of the Government Geological Department in Peiping and is now on the teaching staff of the National University there. Dr. L. K. Tao was educated at the London School of Economics and is now Director of the Institute of Social Science under the American Indemnity Foundation. Mr. Anson Chow is editor and manager of the "Life Weekly" of Shanghai. Dr. T. Z. Koo has been a prominent Y.M.C.A. leader and has taken a great interest in Anglo-Chinese intellectual co-operation and in the visits of English lecturers. The name of Dr. James Yen is well known in connection with the mass-education movement already alluded to and is one of the leading social workers in contemporary China. Dr. Lin is at present in England and expects to remain here till April

next.

It should be mentioned that in the case of several of the Chinese holders of lectureships under our scheme it should be possible for them to combine lecturing with the prosecution of their own advanced studies in English universities. Two at least of the Chinese scholars above-named-Messrs. Chao and Tsu-would certainly be desirous of combining learning with teaching.

During their journey across the American continent and also during the sessions of the Pacific Conference at Shanghai the members of the delegation had many opportunities of discussing with prominent Canadians various questions affecting the relations of China and Canada, and they gained the impression that Canada would be glad to co- operate to some extent with the activities of the Universities' China Committee in connection with the scheme of visiting lectureships and perhaps in other ways. Canada's interest in this matter is not a new thing. A reference was made to it in Lord Buxton's Memo- randum (see "Report of the Advisory Committee", pp. 34-35). It is realised in Canada that very little attempt has yet been made to establish a cultural as distinct from an economic relationship between the two countries, and that in this respect Canada lags far behind the United States. A Chinese department has been established at McGill University, Montreal, and a valuable library of Chinese books has been presented to that University by a private benefactor. But in the province of British Columbia, in spite of its geographical position

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RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE DELEGATION

on the Pacific Ocean, its considerable Chinese population and its growing trade with China, little or nothing has been done apart from Canadian missionary work in China to bring the two nations into spiritual or intellectual contact, though it is becoming urgently neces- sary, in the interests of both countries, that such a contact should be established. When the Chairman of this delegation visited British Columbia towards the end of 1930 he brought this point of view to the notice of the educational and other authorities of the province, and his two colleagues have no hesitation in endorsing his view that steps should be taken as speedily as possible to make provision for the study of the Chinese language and culture in the provincial university at Vancouver. Meanwhile, some progress might be made in the desired direction if the group of Canadians who are known to be interested in this question could see their way to appoint a small committee for the purpose of co-operating with the Universities' China Committee. If some agreement could be arrived at, it might be arranged that British lecturers on their return journey from China should give Canadian audiences the benefit of some of their acquired knowledge of China, and that Chinese lecturers on their way to or from England should deliver a few lectures in Canadian academic or We have other centres on subjects connected with Chinese culture, reason to believe that Professor George Smith, of the University of Alberta, Professor N. Mackenzie, of Toronto, and the Hon. Vincent Massey, formerly Canadian Minister at Washington, are among those prominent Canadians who would give their support to such a scheme, and it is possible that they would be willing to serve on the proposed

committee.

of Chinese

groups In some of the discussions held with representative University teachers a strong plea was made for the holding of “ Summer staffed by British lecturers. It was pointed out that, even

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in the most favourable circumstances, only a very limited number of Chinese research students or lecturers would have the opportunity of coming to England, and that if the services of visiting British lecturers under the exchange scheme were limited to a few selected universities or university centres the scope of their influence would be relatively If it were possible to arrange Summer Schools open to University and Middle School teachers, many would have the oppor- tunity, otherwise denied them, of making contact with British culture and points of view. It was suggested that British lecturers coming to China under the scheme here advocated might be willing to devote either before their more School two or three weeks to such a strictly academic programme began or after its completion, and that

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