UNIVERSITY EDUCATION

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2725, 21 March 1916, Page 7

UNIVERSITY EDUCATION

ADDRESS TO STUDENTS, \• • ■

"A university training does not consist simply in attending lectures and passing examinations,"' said Professor Adamson in the course of .an address to the new . students at Victoria University College last evening. There was the intercourse with''fellow students, and he urged them to take gart in the college activities. He pointed cut that the use thoy made of the next few years would probably settle their' future,' so the whole of the time they could give should be devoted to' study. He did not expect them to devote all their time because some had to earn their livings, and in this respeot New Zealand universities were at a disadvantage compared with 'the old universities at Home, where many of the students were the children of wealthy parents, and others were benefiting through the assistance of rich men.

The session at the.. university was opening under a cloud. It was no exaggeration to say that directly or indirectly 50,000,000 were devoting their attention to the destruction of tlieir fellow-men. That was an appalling state of affairs. Critios had attacked the whole of our boasted civilisation (in connection with the war), and had included the universities, but he thought the universities had done useful work towards the advancement of mankind. It had been said that every ago'had its own problems, and in regard to the problems of to-day he observed that it was tho duty of the university to stimulate the search for truth. The ; history of the past 'told plainly that the State might and must frequently sacrifice the individual for the general well-being—-the State had rights as well as the subject. Then occasions might arise when the rights of the State nad to bo insisted on. There was such a question as the right of the individual to. be free, and the right of the State to compel. Such problems ; (compulsory military service, for instance) should bo discussed. Professor Adamson impressed on the audience that the object of a university training was not merely to equip them for success in life, but also to enable them to take their parts as good citizens. He made passing reference to those from the college who had answered the country's call. 1