CO129-593-2 Rehabilitation of Hong Kong University. For extracted photographs see CN 3-45. Includes 32 photographs depicting-... 10-1-1945 - 20-1-1946 — Page 124

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1. It is generally agreed that immediate steps will have to be taken for reconstituting some, at any rate, of the pre-war activities of the University, notably the courses for teachers and for doctors (in práctice this means, as I see it, reconstituting the University on pre-war lines, but with initially limited functions, since the teachers and doctors to be admitted will obviously not be content with the prospect of obtaining less than Degrees). But it is strongly argued by Mr. Sloss that this practical task, to which the Committee was originally to be limited, cannot be effectively tackled without creating vested interests in the way of new buildings, employment of staff, etc. which will prejudice the answer to the big question of long-term post-war policy, namely whether there is to be a University of Hong Kong at all and, if so, with what purpose and on what scale. Therefore we decided the other day that these larger questions must be tackled concurrently, and indeed that they must be adopted before any immediate action is taken that would be likely to commit the future.

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This issue of long range policy involves three

questions:-

(a) Should a great effort be made to reconstitute Hong Kong University in such a way as to fulfil its original purpose of being a British University for China as well as serving the limited local needs?

(b) If not, should the existing higher educational institutions of Hong Kong on the one hand and Malaya on the other be merged in a single British University of the Far East, and, if so, should it be located in Hong Kong or in Malaya or have constituent colleges in each?

(c)

•

If the answer to (a) and (b) is "No" should Hong Kong University be reconstituted at all or should it be replaced by two or three self-contained post- secondary institutions sufficient to meet the local need for doctors, teachers, etc.?

3. Before the first of these questions (that at (a)) can be answered, there would be necessary (1) a report from the projected Advisory Committee (ii) consideration in the Colonial Office (iii) consideration in the Foreign Office (iv) consideration in the Treasury and possibly (v) a Cabinet decision. All this is bound to take time (particularly as the Advisory Committee members are scattered and some of them busy people); perhaps four months if there is ho prolonged delay at any stage. If the answer to the question in (a) is "No", (b) will have to be settled and at present I feel considerable doubt

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(see para. below) whether a decision can be given on (b) without (1) enlargement of the proposed Advisory Committee to include Malaya representatives (11) reference to the Inter-University Council (iii) a visit by a competent body to the areas involved in the Far East and the canvassing of local opinion on the spot. Even without allowing for any such visit, it is likely to be six months before questions (a) and (b) above can be cleared out of the way. Obviously short range rehabilitation of University activities, and therefore of the University itself (though no doubt functioning with limited scope), cannot wait until then. Therefore we must regard the short range advisory duties of the Committee as not so much concurrent with their

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