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Sir Edward Gent stated that the purposes of the Committee of 1943, which reported as in H KUAC, No.2, were essentially "short term", but that this Committee might wish to express an opinion on the proposal for a joint University.
Professor Penson inquired if the intentions of the founders of the University were still applicable in changed political conditions. She referred also to the difficulty of defining the scope and nature of a University of Hong Kong without fuller information as to what had been achieved in the past.
The Chairman offered to obtain such iñïormation as members might desire to have. He agreed to circulate copies of the Report on the Development of the University presented to the Chancellor in 1939.
Mr. Sloss outlined his view of the reasons why the original purposes of the University had not been full'illed due in part to the fact that the founding of the University coincided with the rise of nationalistic feeling in the Chinese Republic. He pointed out that overseas Chinese had come to Hong Kong in increasing numbers, especially from Malays and the Dutch Indies and added that in recent years the Chinese official attitude to the University had been friendly.
Professor Hinton thought that finance was another reason for failure. We had expected the Chinese themselves to pay for spreading British ideas in China.
Sir George Moss thought that caution was necessary. Before embarking on a policy of expansion, diplomatic approaches should be made to discover what measure of support outside Hong Kong an extended University might expect.
Dr. Channon believed that Kalayan Chinese entered upon medical courses in Hong Kong because of (a) limits imposed on the numbers admitted to the Medical College, Singapore, (b) the cheapness of Hong Kong compared with Singapore and (c) the grant of a University degree in Hong Kong and of a diploma only at Singapore. He thought that it was of "profound importance that there should be a University of Malaya within the shortest possible time".
Dr. Venn asked if applicants for admission to Hong Kong were not in prewar years greater than the number of vacant places.
Mr. Sloss replied that this was particularly the case in medicine.
Dr. Priestley suggested that the Committee should proceed in three stages: (1) a general discussion of long- term policy, (2) consideration of urgent matters of immediate reconstruction (3) finally a decision of long- term policy. He stressed the importance of ensuring that the University was founded on broad based faculties of Arts and Science.
After general discussion it was agreed that to make immediate inquiries in Hong Kong about the numbers qualified now to enter on University courses might not only lead to optimistic estimates but give rise to expectations of an earlier revival of University teaching than would, in fact, be practicable.
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