Peking University
founded in 1898 and one of the most prestigious of Chinese
institutions, is no stranger to world renowned figures attending to
present lectures or as conference delegates. However even for these
surroundings, the afternoon of July 21 was described as "a very
rare occasion" by Sir Colin Lucas, vice chancellor of
Oxford University. This particular
occasion, set in the Sunlight Hall of the Center of International
Cooperation, was the conferment of an honorary Ph.D. on Sir Colin
by Xu Zhihong, president of Peking University.
In
his speech of thanks, Sir Colin recognized with appreciation the
cultural magnanimity of the conferment being made in a foreign
language. He drew a comparison with the use of Latin in Oxford,
observing that this was a dead language not spoken much
elsewhere.
Sir Colin spoke of "a great gesture by the university symbolizing
the close fellowship that exists in the international relations of
men and women of science." He spoke of knowledge having no
nationality, saying, "There should be no geographical frontiers in
the academic world and scholars should be free to work together and
exchange ideas. We belong together because we are all engaged in
the same activity, the search for the true meaning of things. We
seek an understanding not only of how things work but also of why
things work. We are engaged in identifying the very nature of
everything in the world whether it is physical, spiritual or even
in the realms of imagination. We are all engaged with that which we
all have in common and which makes us human and that is our
minds."
Turning to the role of the universities, Sir Colin said, "The
mission of universities is to banish prejudice, unsustainable ideas
and the absence of understanding and reason. It is perfectly
natural, understandable and reasonable for students to come to
university seeking qualifications to help them have a better life
through having a better paid job. Students themselves should be
quite clear why they chose to attend university. However, I don't
think anybody could go to university as a student without being
changed by the experience".
Addressing the student body, Sir Colin went on to say, "It is
similarly important for people like me who teach in universities to
appreciate that our role is to help you make your mind different.
To ensure that you can come out of university with a mind better
able to grasp complexity and to deal with choice. To create an
environment where you can form your own opinions and so be better
able to function as a reasoning member of society."
Sir Colin said he was particularly pleased to receive an honorary
doctorate from Peking University since it was the first place he
had come to in China when he visited it on its centenary in March
1998. Recognizing Peking University as one of the world's most
prominent academic institutions, Oxford University maintains broad
teaching and scientific research contacts. The past couple of years
have seen frequent high-level exchanges between the two
institutions. In terms of student exchanges, Oxford offers
financial aid to graduates from Peking University to engage in
masters and doctoral programs in its graduate school. Each year
Oxford students come to Peking University to study Chinese language
and culture.
"I
wouldn't value a relationship where you visit, sign an agreement
then go away and nothing happens," said Sir Colin. "Building real
long-term relationships with institutions like Peking University is
the best way to make Oxford well known. It is Faculty members who
build the best inter-school relationships leading to collaboration
amongst researchers and exchanges of graduate students."
"I
do hope that after coming to Oxford, Chinese students will feel
that they've found what they were looking for and can take this
away with them. But a one-way relationship is not what we
anticipated and I am glad to see more British students now wanting
to come to Peking University. This will let us better understand
what's happening here. We need to know more about what the
professors and researchers are doing in Beijing," Sir Colin
added.
When asked about current anti-terrorism measures and as a
specialist in the history of eighteen-century France, Sir Colin
talked about the time of the "Terror" during the French revolution.
He said, "My historical interest has been in the ways in which
revolutions, particularly the French revolution, have been
influenced and changed by popular politics."
He
spoke of the "Terror" marking a particular phase in the French
revolution. It was not about terror in the sense of blowing people
up, but a period of grim repression under an emergency government.
Interestingly enough, it serves as a commentary on the human desire
to renew, to change and to make things better. People became swept
along by the tide of revolution and turned to extreme measures to
try to coerce their fellow human beings into changing too.
He
said, "That's essentially the way in which the very good, the great
ideals can go very wrong. History shows that human beings have
always tried to find ways of producing a stable, orderly society,
seeking to balance order with justice. What it does tell us is that
there is no single solution to any given situation. Probably in
this respect history can teach us some good lessons on how to deal
with the current situation."
Sir Colin read modern history at Lincoln College, Oxford. He began
his academic career at the University of Sheffield (1965-69), then
attended the University of Manchester (1970-73), Balliol College,
Oxford (1973-90), and the University of Chicago in the United
States (1990-94). In 1994 he returned to Oxford and has been vice
chancellor of the university since 1997. He is the first Oxford
vice chancellor to serve for seven years. Sir Colin has held
visiting professorships at a number of universities including
Indiana University and Cornell University.
Besides his new degree from Peking University, he also holds
honorary doctorates from the Universities of Lyon, Sheffield,
Western Australia, Glasgow and Princeton. Sir Colin is also
Education Adviser to the Governor of
Guangdong Province, China.
(china.org.cn by staff reporter Shao Da, July 24, 2002)