香港中文大学（深圳）厚含书院院长郑绍远教授在2023年入学典礼上的主题演讲
9月4日，香港中文大学（深圳）迎来了2023年度入学典礼，来自世界各地的3500多名本科生、研究生，齐聚神仙湖畔，迎接新的人生征程。
厚含书院院长郑绍远教授在主题演讲中强调了学者学人的知识分子使命，强调“知识分子就应当能够慎思明辩，对社会的事情，对人类的问题提出解答的方案，在自己能力范围内履行社会责任。”
点击视频观看郑绍远教授的主题演讲
徐校长、段校长、刘校长，各位同学、各位老师、各位来宾:
早上好！十分荣幸我有机会在2023年入学典礼上讲几句话。我先祝贺在座各位同学学业成功，取得优秀的成绩，尤其可喜可贺的是你们做了正确的选择来香港中文大学（深圳）就读，祝贺！
57年前，我和大家一样也选择到香港中文大学就读。香港中文大学和香港中文大学（深圳）是“一个品牌，两个校园”，香港中文大学今年庆祝六十周年校庆，明年是香港中文大学（深圳）十周年校庆。中华文化重视传承，作为老学长，我很高兴和各位同学分享一下当年在港中大求学的情况，知往事以追来者。我讲的可能零零碎碎不成系统，请包涵！
香港中文大学于1963年正式成立，由崇基书院、新亚书院和联合书院组成。我是在1966年中学毕业后考进了港中大联合书院数学系，选择联合书院因为我认为联合书院数学系最强，而我中学同学丘成桐认为崇基书院数学系最好，所以他进了崇基书院数学系。人各有志，各自发展。
崇基书院校舍在新界马料水，校舍最大；新亚书院校舍在九龙，校舍不大；联合书院校舍在香港岛西区，校舍最小，三个校舍相隔甚远。现在从香港中文大学可以在一个小时以内到香港中文大学（深圳），当年从联合书院到崇基书院就要两个小时。
联合书院校舍在香港岛西区半山上，校舍甚小，好像原来是一个师范学院的校舍。有一些课室，有一个篮球场大小的礼堂，同时也用作室内体育馆之用，1966年入学典礼就在这个小礼堂进行。最特别就是室外体育设施，只有一个室外篮球场，但是篮球场是和隔壁的精神病院合用的，当一方使用时另一方就关上通往篮球场的闸门，相安无事，大家共享资源。
原来的校舍没有实验室，理学院的教学实验室设在校外，要步行十五分钟左右才到达，化学实验室是个山洞改建而成的，十分潮湿。条件虽然简陋了一点，我们香港中文大学（深圳）理工学院的黄乃正院士就在那里学化学和做实验的。至于师资方面，当时联合书院数学系约有七八名教员，其中只有两人有博士学位，但港中大一直很努力从全球引进优秀人才推进教学和科研。我大一和大二时，联合书院数学系引进了两位剑桥大学数学博士来联合书院任教，崇基书院引进了一位UC Berkeley数学博士，他们都以英语授课。起初感到不习惯，但挺下来数周后就好了。这些青年老师教学十分认真，并引进新的教学理念。两位剑桥毕业的老师亲力亲为试推行剑桥大学的导师制度，崇基书院那位从UC Berkeley来的老师和丘成桐合作写了一本常微分方程的书，当时港中大虽然条件较艰苦，但在学科发展和培养学生方面是做得十分好的。
我大学毕业时申请到奖学金到UC Berkeley（加州大学伯克利分校）修读博士学位，申请到UC Berkeley相信并不是因为我的GPA很高，因为我也申请了Princeton（普林斯顿大学）、MIT（麻省理工学院）、Yale（耶鲁大学），但全军覆没。UC Berkeley收录了我，原因是丘成桐在该校优异表现。一年前崇基书院那位从UC Berkeley来的老师向UC Berkeley大力推荐丘成桐，说他是港中大的高材生，十分优秀，UC Berkeley以优厚的奖学金录取丘成桐，他到UC Berkeley半年后便写出博士论文和数篇文章，所以UC Berkeley相信港中大的学生是十分优秀的，认为港中大老师写的推荐信可信，就录取了我。很高兴地告诉大家，香港中文大学（深圳）已有好几届的毕业生到世界一流学府深造，表现十分良好，为港中大（深圳）建立了很好的声誉。你们的学姐、学长们的优异成绩已给你们铺了很多路，你们的努力将来也一定为你们的学弟、学妹们打开很多门。
我还想说说我入学典礼那一天给我印象很深刻的事情，我都已经不太记得入学典礼白天的仪式和活动了，但晚上是学生会办的活动，其中有一位演讲人讲的话令我印象很深刻，他讲述了“知识分子”这个名词的来由和使命，来源好像是俄文“Intelligentsia”。演讲人说我们都是知识分子，知识分子就应当能够慎思明辩，对社会的事情，对人类的问题提出解答的方案。我有点惊喜，没有想到我已经是知识分子，既然如此，我是有一定的社会承担，要以天下为己任。我不敢说我本人时时刻刻都做到以天下为己任，但我和众多的港中大校友都一样，尽力在自己能力范围内履行我们的社会责任。
当时香港中文大学的学风是蛮好的，我们不卷，选修什么科目主要不是为了分数，更重视兴趣和学习计划的规划。GPA只是一个数字，无论GPA高或低我们都不应当让GPA这个数字定义了我们的人生。我们要超越！来到香港中文大学（深圳）这个世界一流的学习平台，你们应当瞄准更高的目标，好好学习来发挥自己的潜能，你们一定能够做出一番事业，为社会和人类谋幸福。
兜兜转转五十多年后我又回到了香港中文大学，但我不是转回原点，数学上有螺旋线（Helix），我是转到螺旋线更高的点上。现在的港中大（深圳）在设备、师资和课程设计方面是国际的前沿，与当年的香港中文大学是不可同日而语的。国家对粤港澳大湾区有宏大的计划，详细的蓝图，粤港澳大湾区一定会发展成为国际上最重要的经济区域之一，而国际上主要的经济区域一定有世界一流的大学和研究机构。“一个品牌，两个校园” 的香港中文大学和香港中文大学（深圳）有优秀的办学传承和成绩，具备所有粤港澳大湾区的优势，在老师和同学共同努力之下一定会成为国际顶尖的大学。
谢谢大家的聆听，预祝各位同学学业顺利，健康快乐！
Keynote Speech by Professor Shiu Yuen Cheng at Inauguration Ceremony 2023
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President Xu, President Duan, President Lau, fellow students, colleagues, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning! It is a great honor for me to have this opportunity to say a few words at the 2023 Inauguration Ceremony.
First and foremost, I like to congratulate all the students here for achieving excellent academic results. It is particularly commendable that you have made the right choice to study at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (成功就从正确的选择开始)！Congratulations!
57 years ago, like all of you, I also chose to attend The Chinese University of Hong Kong. The Chinese University of Hong Kong and The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, are "One Brand, Two Campuses". The Chinese University of Hong Kong is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, and next year will mark the 10th anniversary of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen.
In Chinese culture, we value tradition and inheritance. As an alumni, I am delighted to share with you some of my experiences studying at CUHK. Reflection on the past will show the way for the future. Hope it will shed some light for you for your study here. My recollections might be a bit scattered and not systematic. Please bear with me!
CUHK was formally launched in 1963, comprising Chung Chi College, New Asia College, and United College. After graduating from high school in 1966, I entered the Math Department at United College. I chose United College because I believed its math department was the strongest. My high school classmate, Shing-Tung Yau, believed that the math department of Chung Chi College was the best, and he went to Chung Chi. He went his way and I pursued mine. We both made the right choice.
Chung Chi College was located in Ma Liu Shui in the New Territories, with the largest campus. New Asia College was located in Kowloon with a relatively smaller campus. United College was on the Western District of Hong Kong Island, with the smallest campus. The three campuses were quite far apart. Nowadays, it takes less than an hour to travel from CUHK to CUHK, Shenzhen. Back then, it took two hours or more to travel from United College to Chung Chi College.
United College's campus was quite small. There were a few classrooms and a hall about the size of a basketball court. This hall was used for indoor sports activities as well. The 1966 Inauguration Ceremony was held in this small hall.
What was especially unique was the outdoor sports facility. There was only one outdoor basketball court. However, it was shared with the neighbouring mental hospital. When one side used it, the other side closed the gate to the basketball court. It was a peaceful coexistence, sharing resources.
The original campus didn't have labs. The teaching labs for the Faculty of Science were located off-campus, requiring about a fifteen-minute walk. The chemistry lab was originally a cave, ventilation was not very good and hence quite damp. Despite these, I am proud to tell you that our distinguished faculty member, Academician Professor Henry Wong of the School of Science and Engineering, got his chemistry trainings there.
As for the faculty, United College's math department had around seven or eight faculty members at the time, with only two holding doctoral degrees. However, CUHK consistently worked hard to bring in outstanding talents from around the world to promote teaching and research. During my freshman and sophomore years, United College recruited two math PhDs from the University of Cambridge, and Chung Chi College recruited a math PhD from UC Berkeley. They all taught in English. Although it was a bit challenging at first, we adapted, and after a few weeks, everything was fine.
These young teachers were very dedicated to teaching and introducing new teaching concepts. The two Cambridge-trained teachers even personally initiated the tutorial system from the University of Cambridge. The UC Berkeley teacher at Chung Chi College collaborated with Shing-Tung Yau on writing a book on ordinary differential equations.
Despite the relatively modest conditions, CUHK was doing very well in terms of academic development and student cultivation. This tradition of dedication to teaching and research is treasured and maintained at CUHK and CUHK, Shenzhen.
Upon my university graduation, I was awarded a scholarship to pursue a PhD degree at UC Berkeley. I believe I was admitted not solely due to my GPA because I also applied to Princeton, MIT, and Yale but received no offers. UC Berkeley admitted me mainly because of Shing-Tung Yau's SPECTACULAR performance at UC Berkeley.
A year earlier, the Chung Chi College professor who came from UC Berkeley strongly recommended Shing-Tung Yau to UC Berkeley graduate school, describing him as a highly talented student from CUHK. UC Berkeley then admitted Shing-Tung Yau with a generous scholarship. Yau wrote a doctoral dissertation and several papers within half a year of arrival at UC Berkeley. Therefore, UC Berkeley believed that students from CUHK were outstanding and that the recommendation letters written by CUHK faculty were credible. I'm pleased to inform you that graduates from CUHK, Shenzhen, have gone on to pursue further studies at world-renowned institutions. They have achieved excellent results, and have established a strong reputation for CUHK, Shenzhen. Your senior students' outstanding achievements have paved the way for you, and your efforts will undoubtedly open doors for your junior students in the future.
I'd like to share a memorable moment from my own Inauguration Ceremony. I don't remember much about the daytime ceremonies and activities, but in the evening, the student union organized an event.
One of the speakers gave a speech that left a deep impression on me. He spoke about the origin of “intellectual” and its mission. The origin of the word seemed to come from the Russian word "Intelligentsia." The speaker said that we are all intellectuals, and as such, we should use our critical thinking to provide solutions to societal issues and problems(慎思明辩，以天下为己任). This took me by surprise. I hadn't realized I was already considered an intellectual. I then have a certain social responsibility, to regard the world as my own responsibility. I can't claim to always fulfil this haughty goal, but like many other alumni of CUHK, I strive to fulfil our societal obligations to the best of my abilities.
Back then, the learning atmosphere at CUHK was good. We weren't overly focused on grades. Our choice of elective subjects wasn't driven by getting the highest scores. Instead, we valued our interests and academic planning more.
Dear students, GPA is just a number. Whether our GPA is high or low, we should not let that number define our lives. We should strive to transcend it (我们要超越)！Being at CUHK, Shenzhen, a world-class learning platform, you should aim for higher goals and work hard to fully develop your potential. You are definitely capable of making a difference and contributing to society and humanity's well-being.
After more than fifty years of twists and turns, I have returned to CUHK, but I haven't returned to the same point. In mathematics, there's a concept of a helix. CUHK, Shenzhen, is on the international cutting edge in terms of facilities, faculty strength, and curriculum design. I have ascended to a higher point on that helix.
Our country has a grand plan and a detailed blueprint for the Greater Bay Area. The Greater Bay Area is bound to become one of the most important economic regions globally. Leading economic regions around the world are always accompanied by world-class universities and research institutions. With its excellent educational tradition and achievements, CUHK and CUHK, Shenzhen, under “One brand, Two campuses”, possess all the advantages of the Greater Bay Area. With the concerted efforts of professors and students, we will certainly become one of the topmost universities in the world.
Thank you for listening, and I wish all a successful, healthy, and joyful academic journey here!
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