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The Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, visited Lingnan University today (Monday) where he toured the campus and exchanged views with staff and students.

Speaking to the student representatives, Mr Tung stressed the importance to learn and improve on the English and Chinese languages, the two major languages used in the Internet.

"In order to make the best use of the Internet to keep up with the latest technology and information, users must have a good knowledge of these two languages," he said.

Mr Tung was greeted on arrival by the President of the University, Professor Edward Chen; Vice-President, Professor Nyaw Mee-kau; and Professor Chan Tsang-sing and Professor Barton Starr, Associate Vice-Presidents and Academic Deans for Business Studies and for Humanities and Social Sciences respectively.

The Chief Executive noted that in upholding its motto "Education for Service", the University aspired to be an internationally recognised liberal arts university with Hong Kong characteristics.

Mr Tung said that university education should aim at training students to think independently. He identified with Lingnan University's mission statement, which is "to seek to provide students with an education in the liberal arts tradition from both East and West. It takes a whole-person approach to education which enables its students to think, judge, care and, ultimately, act responsibly in the changing circumstances of Hong Kong, the region and the world".

In his tour of the University's new campus in Tuen Mun, which was opened in 1995, Mr Tung learnt that the relatively high ratio of hostel accommodation, for 1,500 students out of its 2,100 total enrolment, had helped the University to achieve its mission of becoming a small liberal arts college.

The Chief Executive visited the Central Plaza, where a Cultural Festival was held. He observed with interest staff and students reciting poetry, writing Chinese calligraphy and solving lantern riddles.

At the Student Services Centre, he noted that Lingnan students had taken part in a wide range of activities and social services to serve residents in the northwestern New Territories. This included the Project X, an outreach counselling service for young people organised jointly with the Tuen Mun Police Community Relations Office and the Tuen Mun District Fight Crime Committee.

Mr Tung also visited the library and saw a demonstration of its computerised interactive reference service.

Before concluding his visit, the Chief Executive received a Chinese painting and a scroll of Chinese calligraphy from the students.

Photo: The Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, visited Lingnan University. Before concluding his visit, Mr Tung received a Chinese painting and a scroll of Chinese calligraphy from the students.

End/Monday, February 14, 2000

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