New Asia College The Chinese University of Hong Kong eNewsletter

In celebration of New Asia College's 70th Anniversary, distinguished scholars were invited to deliver a series of special academic lectures called the 70th Anniversary Lectures of New Asia College. One of them was held at Lecture Theatre 1 of Yasumoto International Academic Park, CUHK on 16 May (Thursday), and was delivered by Professor Ambrose King Yeo-chi, Academician of Academia Sinica and former Vice-Chancellor, former Head of New Asia College and Emeritus Professor of Sociology of the CUHK.

Professor Richard Ho Man-wui, Honorary Fellow of the College, was also invited as the moderator. The lecture attracted a large audience comprising College trustees, alumni and key members of CUHK's management, and teaching staff members and students from other universities as well as from CUHK, all eager to witness Professor King's charisma.

The lecture began with a welcome speech by Head of College Professor Henry Wong Nai-ching, followed by an introduction of the speaker by Professor Richard Ho Man-wui. During the one-hour lecture, Professor King focused on reviewing the changes in China's academic ideology over the past two thousand years under the topic of "Changes of China's Culture of Learning since 19th Century". Professor King related that the Chinese academia had undergone a paradigm shift from the Late Qing Dynasty to the early Republic and to the May Fourth Movement. Confucian classics such as the Four Books and the Five Classics, which had held the spotlight in the Chinese academia for two thousand years, gradually faded out, while science became the prominent doctrine in advanced academic institutions. With this, the underlying principle of the "Great Learning" shifted from the pursuit of "Goodness" to the pursuit of "Truth", signifying a fundamental change in the academic culture. From Confucian classics to science, the development of the Chinese academia and the problems that arose merited our consideration and reflection.

In appreciation of Professor King's delivering the inspiring lecture, the College held a banquet of four tables at Yun Chi Hsien afterwards, when our guests spent a pleasant evening together with Professor King.