OTAGO UNIVERSITY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3757, 16 March 1926, Page 9

OTAGO UNIVERSITY.

ARTS AND SCIENCE FACULTY. DR BENSON’S INAUGURAL ADDRESS. The opening of the 1926 session of the arts and science faculty of Otago University was marked by an inaugural ceremony and address in the Allen Hall on Tuesday night. This faculty from the nature of tne case is looked upon as the heart and soul of the university and the Chancellor (Mr T. K. Sidey, M.P.) was present to grace the occasion as well as a full muster of the staff of the faculty clad in their academic robes. Professor Benham. dean of the faculty, presided and happily welcomed students whether freshmen or seniors. He reminded them that university life did not consist solely in study and urged them to join heartily in ail the varied life of the university. He referred to two new appointments made during the past vacation, and heartily welcomed Mr Turner and Dr Victor Galway to the staff. He drew the attention of students to certain fundamerial changes in the course for the B.A. degree, changes not referred to in the New Zealand University calendar, but which came into effect immediately. The Chancellor expressed his pleasure at joining in the welcome to students. He assured the first year students that they were joining a great institution which had won an excellent name far beyond the confines of New Zealand. Speaking of university societies, he referred to the value of the old University Debating Society of his day as a training ground for public men, among whom was the late Sir John Salmond. He wished students every success in their year’s work. The students here rose and sang the University Anthem to piano accompaniment provided by Dr Galway. The inaugural address was delivered by Professor Benson, who began by welcoming first year and other students. He went on to pay eloquent tribute to the life and work of the late chancellor, the Rev. Dr Cameron, and expressed his satisfaction that they had again for their leader one who had been a student at Otago University, and who had for many years been forwarding the interests of education in the province. He referred to the recent appointment of Mr J. Hinton as professor of physics in the University of Ceylon, and added that there was at present representing them in British universities a group of distinguished students well started on the road to like sin cesses. Mr A. C. Aitken, in Edinburgh, had obtained his doctorate of science in record time, and had been appointed assistant to the professor of mathematics there. At Cambridge, Mr Barnett had been earning the high esteem of physicists for his researches in the Cavendish Laboratory, and Mr Allan had commenced his geological researches under very favourable conditions. Mr M‘Dowell was continuing lii» chemical researches in the London University, and Mr Morrell his work on history in Oxford. It was a matter for regret that there were so few travelling scholarships to enable our most promising graduates to pursue their studies abroad. It was no secret that had there been four science research scholarships available for New Zealanders last year in the place of the one offered by the Royal commissioners of the Exhibition of 1851, four excellent men would have been found for them, and three of those men would have come from their own university. Rarely had the competition been so keen. Very pleasing indeed was the high place won for Otago by her students as shown by the cabled results of the last degree examinations. They had to congratulate Mr H. M. Nimmo on securing the coveted double first-class honours in physics and mathematics;. Miss Bell, the recipient of the Cooke Memorial Prize for mathematics; Mr M'Clymont, who obtained first-class honours in history; and Mr C. K. Allan, who won a like distinction in chemistry. A notable addition to educational literature, and one bearing especially on our problems, was the report of the recent University Commission, and he would turn their attention first to some pf the principles it had emphasised in its efforts to rescue our university system from its tendency to drift towards the recognition of false standards os the measure of its achievements. All such matters ns examinations and curricula, though an important part of our university system, were but adjuncts to its main essential feature, which should Le the cooperation of keen and enthusiastic students with stimulating teachers in study ' and investigation. Teaching must naturally predominate in the earlier work and research in the more advanced. In none of the work, however, could books really

take the place of the living, spoken word, and still less could they replace the more intimate teaching in the laboratory and discussion classes. For the attainment of the ideal of education our commissioners declared there was necessary a proper reaction of teaching and research work. Student and teacher alike must be together engaged on a voyage of discovery in search of truth. They must be heartily grateful to the commissioners for the convincing way in which they had demonstrated that this methov. of education was impossible when both the voyagers were subjected to a rigorous and purely external control, and also for the suggestion of means whereby their voyaging may be rendered possible under our peculiar geographical conditions. Ine same open-minded spirit of inquiry illuminated all branches of knowledge, the literary and philosophic as well as the natural _ and experimental sciences, though m different ways. They would, therefore, obtain the greatest benefit from university education if consideration were paid to the choice of a properly balanced group of subjects for special study. It was surely more as a result of creative effort than of contemplative thought tha f our power of appreciation grew and our studies must be so arranged as to call fo: such effort in one direction or another It was of importance, therefore, that they should so choose their subjects of study in or out of any organised classes, that they might lead to *the formation cf a well balanced mind rather than one wqjped and narrowed by premature specialisation. Those of us who were most directly concerned-with scientific study naturally felt that an important element had been omitted from the education of an otherwise cultured person if he had acquired no appreciation .of the method, ideals and value of scientific work. It had been often urged that the habit of precision of thought and minute attention to detail could be equally acquired by such diverse studies as the classical languages, logic, mathematics, or the physical sciences Arid surely there must indeed be something of vital importance lacking in those students of science, if there were any, for whom the beauty of literature .r of art had no appeal. There was, of course, no necessary connection between scientific accuracy and inelegance of expression; careless diction indeed was usually a sign of inaccuracy of thought. Those who hart done most to advance science—Faraday, Lyell, Huxley, or others—had achieved their great influence largely because of their perfect mastery over the medium by which their thoughts were expressed the simplicity and lucidity of their English. A further important factor in the training of those scientists who aspired to direct industry must be knowledge ol the economic conditions under wh.'ch in dustry developed, which was most clearly appreciated when it was linked on to the historical conception of science. Such economic knowledge was but a portiot of the more comprehensive field of socioh gy which should be the concern of the industrialist, and therefore of the industrial scientist or scientific administrator There should be an opportunity fo. “ browsing,” for reading, experimenting or field observation, apart from the regu jar courses cf instruction; and, still more important, there should be the oppor tunity for a vigorous corporate intellec tual life among the students themselves The greatest danger that could confront a modern university was that it should de generate into a series of independent faculties each training for a profession. Long ago it was Bald: “As iron sharpeneth iron so doth the countenance of a man his friend.” It was not to formal tuition that we must look for the supply of the deficiencies in any curriculum ; it was to informal “browsing” and the active co-operation of diverse groups of students in various societies within the University in which men and women would gain the wider sympathies and interest and the power of self expression which shouid be the feature of our University graduates. For a few years only was the opportunity for such fellowship open to them. Hence he would urge, as strongly as he could, feeling that this was the most valuable advice he could offer, that, while they were there they should take active part in two or more of the intellectual societies within the University, choosing these as their recreation rather than outside amusements. Such valuable and indeed essential activities outside the class room must occupy a considerable nmount of time, and were difficult if not impossible for those who could not give their full time to the University. They were again indebted t<Kthe recent Commission for emphasising this aspect of student life and for urging surh changes in our educational methods as would make Its fuller development possible, as, for example, the increase of facill-.

ties for full-time study and provision of student hostels. It was their fortune here to possess a larger proportion of full time students and more residential halls than in any other University centre in the Dominion. It was the more incumfxmt upon them, therefore, to lead the Way in developing this phuse of University life. The lecturer proceeded skilfully to pure before the students the ideal of education as a trust received by them to administer for the general good. “To the students of the Faculty of Artb and Science.” he concluded, “these thoughts should appeal with special force, for to them will fall the privilege, more directly than to those in any other faculty, of interpreting to the community the ideals of University education, as they apply to practical life, through their teaching, through literary or scientific work or the leadership of industry. It is not, therefore, merely as our future students that I would welcome you in the name of the teaching staff Rather do I desire to invite you to join with us as fellow-trustees, charged with the responsibility of securing for the community, so far as may be in our power, the fulfilment of the high desires that animated those by whom our honoured University was founded and fostered.”

The gathering concluded with, the singing of “Gaudeamus.”