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 173

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All

(●) failure of

staff to achieve olose relations

h Chinese.

| ion

S

Need of Extension

(aj for Colony:

(b) for China

Origins of

present inquiry

/s

It was a misfortune that University

teachers from the UK and the Dominions had

4.

little opportunity or encouragement to learn Chinese. The Government found it expedient to give its sadets' two years in China for language study, the University, the could not, afford to do anything of the kind. Its staff had always had an excessive burden of teaching duties, and not unnaturally, men used the little leisure they commanded for such research as we possible in their own branches of learning rather than to embark on the long period of intense study necessary to meter so difficult a language as Chinese. The zost regrettable result was that ignorance of the language limited their capacity to associate with Chinese in China itself, to their own loss. This increased a tendency in Chinese Government and sducational circles to regard ɗ the University as an alien institution only partially integrated with Chinese life.

Nevertheless graduates of the University play an honourable part in China, though their numbers are not great relatively to the total of foreign trained won. Associations of Hong Kong graduates exist in Chungking, Shanghai, Singapore and Hong Kong and there is a small but active associate in London. Two important Larbers of the Chinese delegation to UND were graduates of ilong Kong University. In the professions, especially in medicine, in banking and comerce graduates of the

10 University are to be found in places of responsibility in the towns of the China coast, in the Dutch Indies, Fast in Lalaya as well as in Hong Kong.

I boug

5. Thus in spite of difficulties and of partial failure in respecta of its greater uins, mainly be evidence of sound teaching over a somewhat narrow field, a University Committee set up by Sir Geoffrey Northcote, the Governor 15 acting as Chancellor of the University was able to convince the Govern ent that even for the adequate fulfilment of its purely colonial functions it resources were insufficient.

Acceptance of this conclusion brought into discussion the question also of fitting the University to play its part more fully in the prosotion of friendly relations with China. It was realised that to do this the University must be of a kind and scope beyond the needs and far beyond the resources of the Colony. Even if all the recommendations of the 1939 Committee had been implemented, as possibly, but for the war, they would have been, the result would have been and institution still inadequate for the greater aim. H.H. Government in both the Colonial Office and the Foreign Office was satisfied of the essential soundness of the aim and of the necessity of financial assistance from the Treasury for its fulfilment. The present Committee has

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