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)