XN000022-1978-04-20 — Page 4

THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 1978

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GOVERNOR LAYS FOUNDATION STONE

TO MARK HKU BUILDING REDEVELOPMENT PLAN

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THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, SAID TODAY HE BELIEVED THAT HIGHER EDUCATION IN HONG KONG WITH ITS TWO UNIVERSITIES AND THE POLYTECHNIC, IS IN THE HANDS OF VERY SOUND INSTITUTIONS ON WHICH WE CAN CONFIDENTLY PLAN FUTURE EXPANSIONS AS OUR NEEDS INCREASE.

SPEAKING AT THE FOUNDATION STONE LAYING CEREMONY TO COMMEMORATE THE INAUGURATION OF THE BUILDING REDEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME OF THE HONG KONG UNIVERSITY, SER MURRAY ALSO PRAISED THE UNIVERSITY FOR ITS +ENVIABLE INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION FOR SOLID AND, IN SOME FIELDS, SPECTACULAR ACHIEVEMENTS+.

HE ALSO NOTED THE UNIVERSITY HAS BROKEN OUT OF ITS OLD BOUNDARIES AND HAS STARTED TO EXTEND SOUTH-WEST INTO THE AREA RESERVED FOR IT, AND OTHER DEVELOPMENTS WILL TAKE PLACE AT VICTORIA ROAD AND SASSOON ROAD, AT A COST OF ABOUT $200 MILLION.

THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH AT THE FOUNDATION STONE LAYING CEREMONY AT THE HONG KONG UNIVERSITY: .

+THE VICE-CHANCELLOR HAS DESCRIBED HOW A LONG-PLANNED MOVE TO EXTEND AND MODERNISE THE ESTATE AND BUILDINGS OF OUR UNIVERSITY HAS STARTED. PERHAPS THIS IS NOT BEFORE IT WAS DUE- AND PERHAPS IT MAY HAVE BEEN ASSISTED BY THE INSISTENCE OF THE HIGHWAYS DEPARTMENT IN BUILDING POKFULAM ROAD THROUGH THE ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE BUILDINGS. BUT WHATEVER THE TIMING AND THE CAUSE, THE OUTCOME IS A VERY HAPPY ONE.

+THE UNIVERSITY HAS BROKEN OUT OF ITS OLD BOUNDARIES AND HAS STARTED TO EXTEND SOUTH-WEST INTO THE AREA ALWAYS RESERVED FOR IT, AND OTHER DEVELOPMENTS WILL TAKE PLACE AT BOTH VICTORIA ROAD AND SASSOON ROAD, AT A TOTAL COST OF ABOUT $200 MILLION.

+THE HONG KONG UNIVERSITY HAS A PROUD HISTORY OF OVER 90 YEARS AS A MEDICAL SCHOOL AND 76 AS A UNIVERSITY. IT HAS AN ENVIABLE INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION FOR SOLID AND, IN SOME FIELDS, SPECTACULAR ACHIEVEMENTS.

+AS A TEACHING INSTITUTION IT HAS DEEPLY INFLUENCED HONG KONG THROUGH THE CONTRIBUTION ITS ALUMNI HAVE MADE IN EVERY FIELD OF ADMINISTRATION, THE PROFESSIONS, COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY.

INDEED OUR UNIVERSITY CAN RIGHTLY SEE ITS OWN SUCCESS MIRRORED IN THE PROGRESS OF HONG KONG TO WHOSE SUCCESSIVE GENERATIONS IT HAS GIVEN OF ITS BEST.

+WITH ITS NEW SISTER UNIVERSITY IN SHA TIN, AND WITH THE STILL NEWER HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC, I BELIEVE THAT HIGHER EDUCATION IN HONG KONG IS IN THE HANDS OF VERY SOUND INSTITUTIONS ON WHICH WE CAN CONFIDENTLY PLAN FUTURE EXPANSION AS THE NEEDS OF HONG KONG INCREASE.

+ IT IS NOW WITH GREAT PLEASURE THAT I LAY THIS FOUNDATION STONE TO COMMEMORATE OUR UNIVERSITY'S NEW STEP INTO THE FUTURE.+

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