CO129-594-1 Rehabilitation of Hong Kong University. For extracted photographs see CN 3-45- Advisory Committee report 29-3-1946 - 3-7-1946 — Page 142

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Faculty of Arts:

III

Developments in Studies and Teaching.

Our considerations have lead us to the conclusion that the basic Departments of a Faculty of Arts in such a University as we have in mind would be Departments of English, Chinese and Social Studies with all of which there should be closely integrated a Department of History.

We would provide however for seven Departments varying i size and complexity, all dealing, though by no means exclusively with under-graduates. In addition there are two post-graduate Departments. The undergraduate students will prepare for Pass or Honours Degrees, but it will not be possible at this stage to offer Honours degrees in all Departments. For example, the Department of Geography, headed by a Reader instead of a Professor is not likely to be able to offer Honour courses, while the Department of English clearly should do so.

It will be a matter for the Senate to decide in the light of circumstances which Departments should in the first ins tance offer Honours courses. But in principlo, they should be contemplated in every Department headed by a Professor. The two post-graduate Departments have a strong bias toward "Applied" studies.

The Departments proposed are in English Language and Literature, Chinese Language and Literaturo, Social Sciences, History, Philosophy, athematics and Geography.

The Post-graduate Department of Education will be organised as a separate unit in the Faculty but with close

the post- liaison with other Departments in Arts and Science; graduate Department of Social Studies will, in fact, bo ag aspect of the work of the Department of Social Sciences.

There will also be provision for practical instruction in French but at present no Department of Modern Languages.

It is hoped that at no distant date adequate provision should be made for Portuguese studies, partly for the important place the Portuguese had in the earliest Western relation with China an partly in rocognition of the valuable contribution made to Hong Kong throughout the British period by its subjects of Portuguese origin whose language still is Portuguese.

•Conception of the function of the Faculty of Arts:

The primary function of the Faculty of Arts is to train its students to understand and interpret the Western civilization and culture, particularly its British variant, to the peoples

As Western and of the Far East, particularly the Chinese. Chinese cultures are embodied in the English and Chinese Languages and Literaturos and in the respective social institutions of the two regions, the English, the Chinese and the Social Sciences Departments are likely to cover this fielä pretty thoroughly between them. But the other Departments should not remain merely ancillary to the basic three. In particular,

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