XN000022-1994-04-14 — Page 2

THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 1994

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TRANSCRIPT OF THE GOVERNOR'S LECTURE

THE FOLLOWING IS A TRANSCRIPT OF THE LECTURE BY THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, ON "THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION: AN OVERVIEW" AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG TODAY (THURSDAY):

VICE CHANCELLOR, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

HONG KONG IS APPROACHING A THRESHOLD UNIQUE NOT ONLY IN ITS OWN HISTORY, BUT IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD. THE SUCCESS OF ITS PASSAGE WILL DEPEND ON MANY THINGS; BUT ON NONE MORE THAN A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHALLENGES AHEAD, AND OF HOW BEST TO MEET THEM. THAT UNDERSTANDING CAN ONLY COME THROUGH THE KIND OF THOROUGH AND UNINHIBITED DEBATE WHICH HONG KONG APPLIES SO EFFECTIVELY TO EVERY NEW CHALLENGE IT ENCOUNTERS. THIS SERIES OF LECTURES EXEMPLIFIES THAT TRADITION AND HAS ALREADY ENLIGHTENED THE DEBATE. I AM GRATEFUL ΤΟ YOU, VICE CHANCELLOR, FOR INVITING ME TO ADD MY VOICE TO THOSE OF MY DISTINGUISHED FELLOW-LECTURERS OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS.

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NO INSTITUTION HAS GIVEN MORE TO HONG KONG, OVER SO LONG, THAN THIS UNIVERSITY. FROM THE DAY IT OPENED ITS DOORS 82 YEARS AGO INDEED BEFORE THEN THROUGH ITS PRECURSOR THE HONG KONG COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, WHICH ITSELF HAD SOME DISTINGUISHED GRADUATES FROM THE DAY IT OPENED IT HAS BEEN TURNING OUT YOUNG MEN AND YOUNG WOMEN WHO HAVE BECOME THE LEADERS OF OUR COMMUNITY, THE BUILDERS OF OUR FUTURE. NO LESS THAN 21 MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, 5 MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND 8 SECRETARIES OF HONG KONG GOVERNMENT POLICY BRANCHES ARE EITHER ALUMNI OF THE UNIVERSITY OR MEMBERS OF ITS STAFF. LAST YEAR'S GRADUATES WILL BE AMONG THEIR SUCCESSORS, HELPING TO LEAD HONG KONG INTO THE 21ST CENTURY.

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WE KNOW THIS BECAUSE, LIKE THE GENERATIONS BEFORE THEM WHO HAVE PASSED THROUGH THIS CAMPUS, THEY HAVE LEARNED DURING THEIR TIME HERE THAT THERE IS NOTHING MORE POWERFUL THAN THE POWER OF IDEAS. THE POWER THAT IS DECIDED, ULTIMATELY, NOT BY PHYSICAL SUPERIORITY, NOR BY WHO HAS MORE BATTALIONS. THE POWER THAT COMES INSTEAD FROM THE MIND, TUNED IN THE WORDS OF ONE GRADUATE OF THE COLLEGE OF MEDICINE YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF DR SUN YAT SEN, TO THE TREND IN WORLD AFFAIRS, AND TO THE URGENT NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. IT IS A TRUTH WHICH MUCH OF THE WORLD HAS HAD TO REDISCOVER DURING THE LIFETIME OF THIS UNIVERSITY THAT THOUGH THE GUN, IN THE HAND OF THE TYRANT OR MORE OFTEN HIS SECRET POLICEMEN, MAY WIN SOME ILLUSORY BATTLES, THE MIND,

AND THE HUMAN SPIRIT WHICH ANIMATES IT, TRIUMPH IN THE END. THERE MAY FOR A WHILE BE DARKNESS AT NOON. BUT THE SUN ALWAYS BREAKS THROUGH THE CLOUDS.

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UNIVERSITIES DEPEND ON THE UNINHIBITED EXPRESSION OF IDEAS, AND THE TUSSLE BETWEEN THEM. VICE-CHANCELLORS AROUND THE WORLD KNOW THAT ACADEMIC FREEDOM IS INDIVISIBLE. THAT YOU CANNOT SAY, IF YOU WANT A HEALTHY UNIVERSITY, FREE EXPRESSION'S FINE FOR CHEMISTRY OR MATHEMATICS, BUT HERE IN THE HUMANITIES THERE ARE UNFORTUNATELY ONE OR

AS SOON AS TWO IDEAS WE MUST FENCE OFF, ONE OR TWO NO GO AREAS".

YOU DO THAT, THE NO GO AREAS SPREAD AND, BEHIND A FINE POTEMKIN FACADE, THE UNIVERSITY DIES.

/THAT, TOO,