Sessional_Paper_1937 — Page 162

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24. The scope of an Engineering Faculty in British and American Universities goes far beyond anything which, in our opinion, should be attempted in Hong Kong. In these Universities its functions rightly embrace original work, research and an advisory capacity to industry as well as sound teaching in the principles of engineering. In Electrical Engineering, for example, we are advised that a Technical College even of a high order would concentrate upon such points as operation and repair; whereas a University proper would go in more for research and design. In our view it is quite out of the question for Hong Kong to compete in the latter sphere with the vast aggregation of electrical knowledge of Europe and America; nor can we see any good reason why this should even be attempted. The same is equally true of Mechanical Engineering. It follows that in our view Hong Kong University need not follow the organization of Universities situated in England.

25. The Faculty is at present organized with the three Departments of Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering each under its own Professor with his assistant staff. We are left with the clear impression that these Departments work disjointedly and we are satisfied that a less elaborate and a less pretentious organization will amply meet the present day requirements of the University. Our main conclusions in regard to staffing this Faculty are that a single Professor will suffice instead of the present three; that he will naturally be the Tai- koo Professor of Engineering (who need not by Statute necessarily be a Professor of Mechanical Engineering), that he should be ex officio Dean of the Faculty; and that he will be assisted by a staff of Lecturers (partly we would hope recruited from the ablest products of the University itself) who in the various departments would be adequate to give instructions on the lines required. These changes when they can be carried out without injustice to the present staff would we are con- vinced result in a better organization and a better discipline throughout the Faculty as well as securing an appreciable economy.

26. From the Departments of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering may in time be derived in fuller measure than at present those advantages for British export trade to which we have already alluded. And we shall later on stress the desirability from this point of view of reinforcing the work of these departments.

27. The Department of Civil Engineering must be evalued somewhat different- ly. Unlike the other two departments there is not much hope, except very in- directly, of obtaining from it those material benefits which will assist Imperial trade. For this reason it is hardly to be expected that firms in the United Kingdom will be anxious to provide gratuitously practical post-graduate apprenticeships for the students concerned. And yet it is just in this field, taking an altruistic view, that the Hong Kong University can at present and for the next few years perhaps be of the greatest benefit to China. Nor is it surprising that this is the department which from the first attracted and still noticeably attracts the greatest number of students.

28. A few Civil Engineers produced by the University will continue, as now, to find employment in various capacities in the Colony and also in Malaya.

But as regards China proper we consider that the University should frankly face the fact that it is acting with no ulterior motives in its attempt to supply the engineers that are so urgently needed for developments of all kinds.

29. We would go a stage further and suggest that the post-graduate training required should be deliberately provided in the Colony to such students from China in the road making, waterworks and building offices of the Public Works Depart- ment without any thought of their subsequent employment in the Colony.

30. We are fully aware of the tendency to-day in Europe to recruit University graduates for such openings as may lead to the higher posts in commercial engineer- ing, on the principle that such recruits will probably have a better knowledge of the underlying principles of their profession than the mere technician.