The Chinese University is now thirty years old.
In the life of the universe, thirty years is only a brief moment, but it is not such a short time in the development of an academic and educational institution. Again, if we consider the founding of the university, the painstaking care put into helping it grow, the mental and physical efforts contributed, and the zeal of many lives, their expectations and hopes, then thirty years is not a period of time to be taken lightly. The universe may be endless, but how many thirty years are there in the life of a human being?
During these thirty years how much determinaton and enthusiasm has been concentrated in the Chinese University! It has already opened up an impressive new situation and gladdening prospects for the future. But "if Heaven had feelings, Heaven too would grow old." Have we who are engaged in and devoted to higher education, especially in the humanities, grown old and feeble in these past thirty years? Every individual ages, but if one is resourceful in substituting the new for the old, meeting change in a suitable way, then the collective life will continue generation after generation, eternally young. What is important, therefore, is whether or not we have, besides tending our own lives, created opportunities for the continuing strong development of the collective life.
We have of course had some achievements in the humanities field, but if we look back to our high-minded predecessors, may we not say that we have also in some ways lost our bearings? As we near "the end of our span," at this boundary between centuries, should we not once again lovingly resolve to start anew in our study methods, bestir ourselves anew concerning our educational policies, vigorously expand our thinking, develop our minds and hearts anew?
In recent years the university administration has made some fundamental structural changes. Some striking new architecture is also appearing on our campus. Can we because of aging find ourselves unable to adapt to these kinds of new things, or will we seize the opportunities in this changing world, continue to exert ourselves and create still more new things?
Human life has its limit, but humanist ideals have no boundaries. Even as we celebrate the achievements of the past thirty years, let us fix our minds on the future, set our sights on the broad prospects for the next thirty years!