When I was dean of the Faculty of Arts in the University of Singapore in 1964 it occurred to me that the history of Chinese science was never discussed. It was a new university, so how could I not try a fresh approach?
早在一九六四年我接下新加坡大學中文系主任，心想：老談科技史總不成，而致力舊文學的中文系很多，大學新創校，我又是第一個系主任，既沒包袱，何不試點新鮮的？