CO129-594-3 Rehabilitation of Hong Kong University. For extracted photographs see CN 3-45- Advisory Committee- minutes of... 18-1-1946 - 9-4-1946 — Page 126

HONG KONG UNIVERSITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE

CONFIDENTIAL

Draft Minutes of the Third meeting of the Committee held in the Conference Room at the Colonial Office, Downing Street, on Monday, the 4th March, 1946 at 2.30 p.m.

Present:

Dr. R. E. Priestley

(in the Chair)

126

2.

Mr. Walter Adams

Mr. E. Burney

Mrs. L. Forster

Professor W. J. Hinton

Dr. Kauntze

Mr. A. Morse

Sir George Moss

Professor L. M. Pe ns on

Sir Humphrey Prideaux-Brune

Mr. D. J. Sloss

Mr. N. L.

Miss A. M.

Smith

Ruston.

The Minutes of the last meeting were confirmed.

The Chairman asked if it would be possible to obtain a rough plan of the site of the University in Hong Kong and an indication of the replanning proposed more adequately to use the site. Chairman also enquired whether an indication of the cost of staff The could be provided.

(a) Mr. Sloss reported that scientific. instrument makers could supply basic equipment for Chemistry, Physics and Biology not earlier than September next in England; that for export the leading British scientific instrument makers were combining their resources and asked if the Committee approved the view that there was in these conditions no profit in calling for estimates from the different makers. The Chairman replied that the British universities had concluded that separate estimates were no longer of value.`

(b) He reported also that he was in correspondence with the Registrar of the University, who before returning to Hong Kong had asked for certain assurances. This matter will be dealt with immediately by the small cxecutive committee set up in London by the Secretary of State.

4. Sir George Moss emphasized that in any planning for the University the Committee should recognise the primacy of English. He thought that the Chancellor of the Exchequer would be more rendily moved by such plea than by demands for finance for research.

5. The Committee began a survey of proposals for the type of University desired.

(a) The Committed agreed that a sound Department of English was the first essential and that especial care in English speech and writing was essential.

in the training of Chinese Sir Humphrey Prideaux-Brune referred to the importance attributed by the Chinese Department of Education to good English teaching.

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