Every time I enter a classroom, I have two objectives. First, I hope to shed some light and heighten interest in my field. Second, I want to learn. I have found that lively exchange with students is the spark that keeps intellectual curiosity burning strong.

My experience as a professor and as Chancellor contradicts the popular misconception that teaching and research conflict with one another. Exciting classes stimulate scholarship, and active research enriches teaching.

A recent survey of our faculty confirmed that the potential for cross-fertilization in teaching and scholarship is unlimited. Over 50 percent of professors surveyed said they make extensive use of their own scholarly research in undergraduate classes.

For me, teaching is not an activity that comes just as naturally as breathing. I have to prepare thoroughly for classes. Even with a lot of hard work, I did not become an effective teacher overnight. It took years of practice before I was engaging students fully in courses.

When I arrived here as a new professor in 1959, I worked on lectures late into the night. I had lived in the United States for only three years, to complete my graduate studies. Although I was born in China, my family moved to Taiwan, where I earned an undergraduate degree. Lacking a lifelong proficiency in English, I had to prepare for classes far more carefully than did my colleagues who were native speakers.

I developed detailed outlines for lectures. I even practiced delivering lectures until 1 or 2 a.m. with my wife, who is amazingly patient. My careful preparation made a difference. Students reported they enjoyed my classes despite my heavy accent. Three years later, I received a Distinguished Teaching Award, one of the highlights of my academic career. Perhaps because I had to work so hard and carefully to prepare for classes, I was deeply honored by this teaching award.

As Chancellor, I am concerned about building the kind of campus community that enriches the lives of undergraduates. This is an especially important consideration at large, intensely competitive universities like Berkeley.

Learning does not take place in lecture halls alone. We try to introduce students to Berkeley's stimulating intellectual environment as soon as they arrive on campus. Moreover, we are concentrating on programs and activities aimed at making new students feel like they are part of a community—far better for learning than feeling isolated, disengaged, and ineffective.

Berkeley faculty and staff have risen to the challenge. Because of their extraordinary efforts, every student can enroll in at least one faculty-led seminar in the lower division. Today students at most campus residence halls can take classes together, work at computer stations together, and study in teams and with tutors.

Many other exciting programs and activities enrich the undergraduate experience, far too many to list in one brief statement. Still, a lot of work remains. Despite the serious challenges ahead, I am heartened by the strong commitment to teaching at Berkeley.