HKU Bulletin May 2004 (Vol. 5 No. 3)

3 2 Tons of Tomes W ith the Communists seizing ‘Peiping, Soochow, Hangchow and Tientsin’ University Registrar Bernard ‘Bunny’ Mellor could not hide his despondency in May 1949. The question was what was more depressing: the impending communist victory or the fact that the University’s Books for China programme was grinding to a halt. More than 50 years later the programme is still going strong with four tons of tomes ready to be dispatched to Mainland universities this month (May). Its war-torn origins, however, are revealed in the Registry’s archives, which contain fascinating letters giving a taste of China as it was and a glimpse of the programme’s colourful beginning. Designed to rebuild China’s educational infrastructure – shattered by the Japanese invasion – the programme brought with it books to restock its university libraries. What becomes clear in the letters, however, is that a scheme to supply these surplus books from the West had walked into the middle of a civil war. Stretching from 1948 until 1955 the letters include correspondence between the UK, Hong Kong and the Mainland. Throughout, transportat ion is a recurrent theme wi th some universities considered too remote and others only reachable safely by air; an option that was out of the question. In one instance the University only found out that a consignment had reached the National Central Library in ‘Nanking’ some 11 months after they had been dispatched. One letter notes of Lanchow University in Gansu: “China Travel Service…seems very doubtful whether they could accept books consigned to a place so far away.” But transportation and war were not the only problems. The sound of bucks being passed can almost be heard in several letters that make plain that Mainland university administrators were not prepared to accept Western books. Instead they told the benefactors that books had to be sent through Beijing for clearance. By 1955 this covert censorship had become formalized with the news that each book needed an individual import licence and if considered undesirable ‘maybe proscribed’. Under these circumstances the scheme would appear to have been largel y mothballed. It was only with the arrival of Priscilla Roberts, Lecturer in the Department of History, that the cobwebs were blown off. She said: “A young academic from the Mainland came to v isi t here and he mentioned that he was teaching US history but they were chronically short of resources. “At the same time my department head mentioned that someone had left behind a collection of journals, which they had hoped could go to the PRC. “It just snowballed from there.” Since its resurrection in 1986, Books for China programme has sent more than 20 tons of books to Mainland universities, with no sign of the tap being turned off. Roberts said: “Northeastern University in Shenyang wanted to hold a reception about 18 months ago after they had received a consignment from us but unfortunately I could not go. “But no doubt I will do this at some stage!” NEWS ROUND-UP Honouring Our Supporters T he annual Honorary University Fellowships ceremony was a colourful event with five distinguished men – including a judge, a solicitor, a paediatrician and two businessmen – receiving awards. The Hon. Mr Justice Patrick Chan Siu Oi , Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal and an alumnus of the Uni versi ty, has rendered invaluable services to our Faculty of Law. He is also a member of our Council and has been actively invol ved in the rev iew of our governance and management. Mr Moses Cheng Mo Chi is a pract ising sol ici tor and also an alumnus of the University. He has distinguished himself as an active member of the Hong Kong community – as a former Legislative Councillor and as a member of the Education Commission. He is also a member of the University Court and Standing Commi t tee of the HKU Convocation. Mr Linus Cheung Wing Lam is Deputy Chairman of PCCW Ltd. Also an alumnus of the Universi ty, he has led a dist inguished career in management . He i s a former Managing Director of Cathay Pacific Ai rways and a member of the Uni versi ty Counci l and Finance Committee. He is also on the board of HKU School of Professional and Continuing Education (HKU SPACE) and Chai rman of the SPACE Community College Advisory Board. Professor Leung Nai Kong is a leading paediat r ician and HKU alumnus. A former Chief Executive of Princess Margaret Hospital he is an Honorary Professor of our Faculty of Medicine. He has played an instrumental role in the founding of the Uni versi ty Medical Alumni Association and has been a member of the Associat ion’s Execut i ve Committee since its formation in 1999. Mr Lim Por Yen is a successful b u s i n e s sma n a n d r e n own e d philanthropist. He is founder of the Lai Sun Group and has been i ts Executive Director since 1959. His generosi ty has seen him donate more than $600 million to charity. He has generously donated $2 million to the HKU Foundation for Educational Development and Research and his gift of $20 million was an enormous boost to the University’s SARS Fund and the establishment of the Jao Tsung-I Petite Ecole. Photography: P. Leung