Chung Chi College inherits the tradition of Chinese Christian universities and maintains a strong bond with Lingnan University (LU) in Guangzhou. Dr. Tsang Chiu Sam, former Dean of the Faculty of Arts at Chung Chi, once said, “LU is the only one among the thirteen Christian universities established in Guangdong. Most of the students are Guangdong natives, and the medium of instruction is Cantonese. Just from the perspective of its location, LU is closely related to Chung Chi.”
In the early days of the establishment of Chung Chi College, many teaching staff were former LU staff. For example, Dr. Lee Ying Lin, the first President of Chung Chi, had been the former President of LU; Mr. Tse Chiu Kit, Registrar, had been the Comptroller of LU. Professor Yung Kai Tung, President of Chung Chi; Rev. Pong Tak Ming James, Chaplain; Professor Mak Kent Chun, Head of the Department of Economics and Business Administration; Mr. Soo Theowin, Lecturer of the Department of Mathematics; Mr. Zia Nai Zin, Adjunct Lecturer of Chinese Studies; and Bishop Ronald Hall, Adjunct Lecturer of Philosophy of Life; served as either professors or lecturers in LU. With their wholehearted dedication to the College, the new-born Chung Chi promptly gained a foothold in Hong Kong.
Given the relationship between the former College President Dr. Lee and LU, the Trustees of LU in New York agreed to provide financial support to Chung Chi. At first, the Trustees paid Dr. Lee's salary for a year; and in the 1960s, they donated a total of 35,000 US dollars to the College. In addition, LU alumni were also eager to make donations to Chung Chi. For example, Mr. Chan Tak Tai Edward, a LU graduate (Class of 1940) and a contractor, sponsored the travel expenses of several Chung Chi graduates who pursued further studies in prestigious universities in Britain, the United States, and Canada. Besides, he also generously donated 150,000 Hong Kong dollars to build the Lingnan Stadium and supervised its construction in person. All of the above LU’s support and contributions reflected the steadfast connection between Chung Chi and LU.
