時代的呼聲--為沈祖堯校長就職講辭喝啋
第六任校長劉遵義就職典禮上強調，中大進一步國際化，「有助中大汲納人才，提升水準，造就卓越，擴大影響力，以及拓展服務範圍，滿足香港、中國其他地區、亞洲，以至全世界的需要。」在全球日趨一體化的世界裡，他的著眼點，乃要捕捉機遇，增加中大的收生率，使之能更快地躋身於世界高等學府之林。
第七任沈祖堯校長，在就職講辭裏，首先肯定上屆及歷任校長之功績及貢獻後，馬上提出他看到已悄然出現的危機(1)，以至中大及全球的大學教育要面臨前所未有的挑戰(2)。如果這個危機趨勢持續，後果勘虞(3)。大學便只能製造出利己的經濟個體户，懂做子民而不懂做具悲天憫人心腸的負責任公民。同時，想像力和創造力、科學研究的人文內涵，以及慎思明辨的能力將逐漸喪失。教育的價值也會湮沒。他的當務之急，不是延續國際化路線，提升中大的排名，乃培育年輕的靈魂的使命，歇力保存人文精神、培養創新和批判思維，以及造就世界公民。他的期望是激勵學生不斷勤奮探索知識、永遠渴求真理和不屈不撓力爭上游。其实对於所有中大人，包括我們這些校友，沈祖堯校長語重深長的訓誨，豈不還是適用嗎？中大校訓是「博文約禮」、崇基校訓是「止於至善」。內聖外王，學習作既愛中国的子民，也愛公義的世界公民，是一生的功課。
沈祖堯校長這理念，印證了秀慧(4)的期待，当教育能培育出具悲天憫人心腸的負責任公民時，便不再需要個別的英雄了。
這世代更需要的是先知，在曠野中的呼聲。
Remark 1 :悄然出現的危機
1. 世界各國(包括中國)埋首於追逐經濟發展
2. 推動學者做研究的是資源，而非對知識的好奇
3. 大學重視排名，而忽略培育年輕的靈魂的使命；
4. 教師的回報主要取決於他們的「生產力」，而非學養
Remark 2 :前所未有的挑戰
培育有主見、尊重見解不同於己者、能洞察別人的需要，以及有悲天憫人心腸的負責任公民。
Remrk 3:勘虞的後果
想像力和創造力、科學研究的人文內涵，以及慎思明辨的能力將逐漸喪失。教育的價值也會湮沒。
Remark 4: 秀慧的詞
期待──沒有英雄時代
黃秀慧（崇基英文1982）
西北望神州，
滿眼風光
英雄地。
千古風流人物，
嵇郎叔夜，
斗酒千斤不醉。
曠世才情，
總不敵，
路人皆知司馬氏。
平沙漠漠，
大地蒼茫，
一曲廣陵成絕響，
魂隨曲散。
一嘯人間萬事。
古今如夢。
雲詭風高，
無定河邊百草低。
公義何尋？
多少英雄淚，
正氣凛然腰不折。
再望神州。
此情可待，
沒有英雄時代。
後記
回港偶閱《竹林七賢之嵇康傳》，才略為了解此魏晉名仕 亦為竹林七賢之中氣節最高者。叔夜才情豪邁，精通音律，朝中重臣都藉以拉攏,，希望其他士子追隨。奈何叔夜蔑視權貴，藐視隨波逐流，更何況同流合汚。故被司馬師之智囊小人鍾會視為眼中釘。及後為友人呂安抱不平，牽連入獄，在獄中亦寧死不屈。終被司馬昭下令處斬。刑場上萬頭鑽動，坐在中央的嵇康，一口氣將一罎酒喝光，然後將箜篌（古琴瑟）放在斷頭木上，輕輕調一調琴弦，鴉雀無聲之際,，彈出一首只傳人不傳譜的《廣陵散》，就從容就義。臨死前，嵇康微笑對兄長嵇喜說：「吾命不亡，朝廷不寧；吾命既滅，朝廷可高枕無憂矣。」時勢造英雄，英雄往往在時難年艱中崛起,。當我們渴望看到一位英雄出現，是否意味著社會正存在著不公義。但願我們不再需要英雄。參考書 《竹林七賢之嵇康傳》 顧志坤著 北京團結出版社
The following is the address delivered by Professor Joseph J.Y. Sung at his installation ceremony this morning.
Dear Council Members, Colleagues, Students and Alumni,
I stand before you greatly honored and with humility to be appointed as the 7th Vice-Chancellor and President of The Chinese University of Hong Kong. This University was founded by scholars who embraced Chinese culture and philosophy, who had great passion to educate young men and women to become mature and responsible adults, who pointed out that we need humanities as much as science and technology to make our country and our world a better place. And with these commitments they laid solid foundations for our University over 60 years ago.
Under the capable leadership of my predecessors, The Chinese University of Hong Kong has become one of the top comprehensive research universities in Asia. Our cherished traditions in bilingualism and biculturalism, our heritage of profound humanitarianism, blending Eastern and Western cultures, our commitment to general education and whole-person development and our unique non-formal education and pastoral care through our colleges has put us on the global map of higher education in the past 50 years. But today we are facing unprecedented challenges.
Radical changes are occurring in university education worldwide. A silent crisis has started when nations(China included) thirst for economic growth, researchers are driven by the search for resources more than curiosity, universities look up to rankings more than nurturing young souls, and professors are rewarded primarily by their "productivity" rather than their scholarship. If this trend continues, nations all over the world will only be producing revenue-generating products and individuals, rather than responsible citizens; responsible citizens who can think for themselves, respect those who are different and understand others' sufferings and needs. On the other hand, the imaginative and creative capability, the humanistic aspects of scientific research, and the capacity for rigorous critical thinking will diminish. The value of education will be lost.
Bronson Alcott said: "Education is that process by which thought is opened out of the soul, and, associated with outward things, is reflected back upon itself, and thus made conscious of its reality and shape". When the nations talk about economic growth, we must not forget there are still hunger and sickness in even the wealthiest countries in the world. When the world focuses on scientific advancement, food production and prolonged longevity, we should be reminded that "the most common disease is not tuberculosis or leprosy, but the hunger for love" (Mother Teresa). As a comprehensive University, our balance of science and technology against humanities meets the demand in this world. In our University we will continue to uphold human values, to cultivate sensitivity to people's need and suffering, to educate for appreciation of the arts and music.
Tagore reminded us that "Our mind does not gain true freedom by acquiring materials for knowledge and possessing other people's ideas but by forming its own standards of judgment and producing its own thoughts". Socrates proclaimed that "the unexamined life is not worth living for a human being". Today's education puts more emphasis on information and skill, less on pursuit of truth and creativity. Too much time is spent on retaining facts rather than critiquing concepts. A lack of training in self-reflection and examination leads to unclarity about goals, wavering of opinions and ends up with loss of direction. Training of a critical mind is a crucial role of higher education. It is embraced in our time-honored tradition in general education, in our belief in college pastoral care and in our openness to all ideologies and beliefs.
Jawaharlal Nehru said: "Peace is…indivisible, so is freedom, so is prosperity now, and so also is disaster in this One World that can no longer be split into isolated fragments." More than ever, we depend on people we have never met and they also depend on us. The problems we need to solve – economic, environmental, religious and political – are global in their scope and nature. We gradually come to realize that we are all citizens of the world. We need to embrace our Chinese culture on the one hand, but also need to know the challenges of different ethnic groups and other nations. The University's commitment to research and teaching collaborations with other world-renowned institutions, in provision of student and academic exchange, the promotion of social services through our Colleges, will help our faculty and students, as well as others, to cultivate the ability to see ourselves as members of a global village. Our commitment to environmental protection is another endeavor to fulfill our global responsibility. We should learn to respond to the need of the world instead of building in our ivory tower.
Based on these pillars of preserving the humanities, cultivating innovation and critical thinking, and realization of world citizenship, we will be educating our students and leading CUHK into the next 50 years and beyond. This mission cannot be accomplished without the dedication of our teachers who are passionate in their teaching and research, not seeing it as a job, but a vocation. These dreams cannot be fulfilled without the support of our government, philanthropists and alumni, in giving their trust and their support to the University. Most importantly, the true spirit of a university education cannot be continued without the hard work of our students to keep their minds inquisitive to knowledge, their thirst for truth unquenched and their desire to excel invincible. (Alumni included)
Mr Chairman, after I graduated from medical school I joined the Chinese University as a physician, a researcher and a teacher. Working as a medical doctor for 25 years, I have learned that medicine is both a science and an art. Working as an academic researcher for 25 years, I have been trained to think critically while working with my colleagues as a team. Working as a teacher for 25 years, I have come to realize that education requires a heart and a soul. I pledge to give my best skills, my passion and my perseverance to serve this University in the years to come.
Joseph J.Y. Sung Vice-Chancellor and President 16 December 2010
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