CO129-576-5 Hong Kong University 13-6-1939 - 23-11-1939 — Page 61

COPY.

(F 8641/3446/10)

Dear Mr. Beresford,

c/o Martins Bank,

Oxford.

6th July, 1939.

61

You were good enough to say that

you would consider a note from me briefly setting

down the reasons of my visit to England. They are

related to the gaining of support, official and

personal, for the University of Hong Kong as

instrument of British policy towards China.

an

The University was founded in

1911, by the efforts of Lord Lugard, to offer education,

according to British ideals and aims at British

University standards, to the Chinese.

Quite

disinterestedly the founder believed that through this

University might come a friendly recognition by the

Chinese of the value of British goodwill.

In 1912

came the Chinese revolution and the growth of intense

nationalism in China was a major reason for the

failure of the hopes of the founder of the University.

As a result the University has not developed. It

started with hopelessly inadequate resources and it

has not gained the measure of confidence among the

Chinese that would have ensured its growth towards

usefulness. There is a good medical school,

stimulated by periodical inspections by the General

Medical Council. which has recognised our degree for

registration in Great Britain. There is a moderately

effective Department of Civil Engineering and

Departments of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering

which now must vastly be improved or be abolished.

It has a spiritless Faculty of Arts and a Department

of Education which recently, with the help of the

Colonial/