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 146

Typuk

ཏིདེ སཾ, བྷཱཝ

11th March, 1946.

146

Minutes of last meeting.

Professor Redman sent a telegram to say he would be

definitely at the next meeting of the Committee.

Brigadier MacDougall, Chief Civil Affairs Officer at

Hong Kong. "I have come to make a plea for the earliest

opening of the University. We notice that students both

past and present are going to Universities already in

being, particularly in Kanton. I have spoken to

Professor

and the C.in C., and I have since talked

to Sir Mark Young, and everybody seems unanimous in that

it should be opened as early as possible even if it looks

a little half-baked'. An early opening is a point of

terrific importance. I do not think we need fear too

much the fact that the University would be ill equipped

and ill provided. Successful improvising should get

away with it. The field is clear, and the strong local

feeling is that we should get the thing opened in the

nature of say 6 months, and have a higher course in

English, and get to work on something."

Mr. Cox The impression I got was that secondary schools had stopped more or less altogether during the occupation

and that therefore the inflow of new schoolboy students

was really to be very small.

Major MacDougall. I think that must be true. There are

a number of people who have grown up in Free China and

come back. Boys and girls received secondary schooling

elsewhere.

PFOX.XXXXXXXX.Mr.Sloss.

They do not want to be cumbered

up with inefficient students. From our previous

experience there are people who would in normal times

not get admission.

Moss. Tell us please who those in authority in Hong Kong

now want the University back in Hong Kong.

Major MacDougall.

Main reasons: prestige. Also it is

hoped to influence the course of Far Eastern events

/through