CO129-591-1 Hong Kong University Advisory Committee- recommendations 10-1-1944 - 5-12-1944 — Page 18

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at Hong Kong University and at Chinese Universities to such an extent as would permit the first mentioned Punotion of the University being fulfilled.

9. We were then faced with the question whether Hong Kong University should in the future be regarded as an instrument of British policy towards China and the Far East as conceived by the founders of the University, or as an institution catering for local needs.

10. Our examination of this question and of the probable educational development in Malaya led us to enquire whether we should envisage a University in Hong Kong and another in llaleya, or a single and more ambitious British University for the Far East. We were inclined to view favourably the possibility of ona University endowed in a menner worthy of its purpose, although we were rather evenly divided as to whether such a University should be located in Hong Kong or Malaya, but decided that we were not competent at this stage to make any firm recommendation regarding the future status of the British University or Universities in the Far East. We recommend that this matter, which will largely depend upon the policy of His Majesty's Government in these territories, should be reserved for the consideration of a Commission of Enquiry which wa suggest night be appointed in the United Kingdom to vieilt Hong Kong and Malaya and to advise upon the full development of the higher educational systems there in the light of the post-war situation. At the same time we fool that there may be certain obligations to the founders of Hong Kong University and to those who, by donations and other forms of assistance, rendered possible both the foundation and the continuance of that University, and that the nature of such obligations, if any, should be examined and kept in view when the matter is considered after the war.

11. Meanwhile, we recommend that Hong Kong University should, as soon as practicable, be revived to serve the immediato neede of Hong Kong during the reconstruction period, the first priority being given to the Medical and Engineering faoulties, while the Arts faculty should be reconstituted primarily for the benefit of students for the teaching profession.

12. While emphasising the needs of the Colony we do not overlook certain functione which Hong Kong University was designed to fulfil, especially as regards China, and we recom... mend therefore that the pre-war policy of awarding scholarships at Hong Kong University to Chinese students in Chine should be revived and extended as circumstances permit. In this connection our attention was invited to a acheme recently introduced by the Chinese Ministry of Education to provide for the control of Chinese students wishing to pursue their studios abroad. We were adrirod, however, that the scheme would not, necessarily, require vuráâtion of the polloy of extending assistance to such Chinese students to study at Hong Kong,

13. As a short term policy for the reconstruction period, we recommend that all institutiens providing higher educational facilities at the time of the invasion of the enemy, should be restored as fer and as early as possible upon the re-occupation of Hong Kong and/or Malaya, and that special attention be given to the provision of facilities for the training of teachers and medical students and for vocational training.