CO129-538-1 Hong Kong University 31-12-1931 - 6-8-1932 — Page 229

34

TI

336

widening the mind of an immature overseas student, it more often confirms his national prejudices, while the new social environ-

Sir Thomes laid stress, however, ment hampers his academic work. on his belief that the situation was quite different WWWW for the post-graduate student, who has a well-defined specific group of subjects to tackle." Such a student, he pointed out, is not expected to take part in undergraduate club-life;

he meets

only the teaching staff or senior students of his own specialised type; and his experiences tend to the increase of international

friendliness. He added that post-graduate and specialised

students from overseas frequently compare very favourably,

achievement as well as in intellectual energy and industry,

their

with British contemporaries.

in

In these views we concur, and we have reason to

-

believe that they are held to an increasing extent in educational

circles in China. For example, a leading article in the semi-

official Chung-yang Jih Pao a Nanking daily newspaper in its

issue of June 11th last, made pointed comments on the compara-

tive failure of the system of sending immature Chinese students

to study abroad. "People are apt to decry Chinese returned stu-

dents, but the pitifulness of 22227 their position is not proper-

ly appreciated. The least the Government can do is to leave

higher education untrammelled; and from our past experience of

returned students it would appear to be more satisfactory, and

less expensive, to engage a larger number of eminent foreign

professors to lecture in our universities. To-day the average

Chinese student abroad spends his time in lecture-halls, studios

and laboratories; he is not qualified, financially or by educa-

tion or experience, to profit by the social life he leads or the

journeys he makes. If the Ministry of Education would devote the

money spent on apnding students abroad to the opening of more universities, the education acquired by students abroad could be

supplied at much less cost at home. Our students to-day suffer from inadequate preparation before leaving home and the lack of

opportunity which they find on their return. More foreign pro- fessors in China would result in students being better equipped