69 research outputs found
Introduction: Liberal Arts Education, the normal university and current scholarship on the heritage of China’s Christian universities
No full textThis book brings together English translations of thirteen research papers published in Mainland China in recent years by historians, sociologists and educators who have investigated various dimensions of China’s sixteen Christian universities established in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These institutions did path-breaking teaching, research, and community service across China up to the early 1950s, when the new Communist government decided to close them and integrate their faculty and facilities into the new socialist system of higher education. It is surprising that now, seventy years later, the legacy of these institutions continues to inspire higher education reform in China and there is an ongoing scholarship that draws on archival sources in China, Europe, and North America to elaborate on their value
Contextualizing the civic roles of postsecondary institutions with insights from different traditions
No full textThis paper explores the profound philosophical and conceptual foundations that underpin comparative international education research, particularly concerning the evolving roles of universities and colleges that transcend mere skills training or human capital development in contemporary times. Universities and colleges have predominantly focused on measuring their success through criteria such as research excellence and their ability to adapt to the ever-evolving demands of the job market. It is imperative to recognize that the diversity of postsecondary institutions is not only providers of human capital with curriculum shaped by labor market needs; rather, they should be recognized as institutions dedicated to human development, community anchors, the promotion of the public good, democratic education, the cultivation of civil society, and global citizenship. Relying on an extensive review of selected literature pertaining to the mission, goals, aims, and roles of the postsecondary sector in three regions (East Asia, Germanic Europe, and North America), this paper considers the question, “How do different approaches and traditions in different social contexts contribute to our understanding of the civic roles of postsecondary education institutions in shaping future global citizens, transcending the confines of national boundaries?” Throughout the paper, the unique contexts and traditions of these regions are meticulously examined alongside thematic discussions, culminating in comprehensive analyses on what factors are considered as the civic roles of institutions and what challenges are there for them to realize their goals
Parallel session 5 : Institutional management
No full textPresented Titles: Comparing Institutional and Cultural Dynamics in University Governance in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan [Author: William Yat Wai Lo] Institutional Responses and Management During COVID-19: A Comparative Analysis of Universities from Canada, China, and the USA [Authors: Michael O’Shea; Leping Mou; Lu Xu; Ross Aikins] COVID-19, a New Driver to Optimise China’s Transnational Higher Education? [Authors: Huili Si; Miguel Antonio Lim] Challenges, Opportunities and Responses to and by Higher Education Institutes Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic [Author: Rasel Hussain] Navigating Novel Challenges in Teaching and Learning: Experience from the University of Hong Kong [Author: Ian Holliday
The liberal arts curriculum in China’s former Christian universities
No full textIn the first half of the 20th century, the Christian universities in China founded by North American missionaries made a great contribution to China’s higher education development and set models for other universities. These universities adapted the American liberal arts education into Chinese contexts with a completely different social and cultural tradition. The paper explores the concept and essence of liberal arts education as reflected in the curriculum of the Christian universities through a qualitative methodology employing archival document analysis. The study brings insights for today’s trend towards reviving liberal arts education in China’s elite universities as a way of countering the influence of utilitarianism and neo-liberalism in an era of economic globalization
The Liberal Arts Curriculum in China’s Christian Universities and Its Relevance to China’s Universities Today
No full textThis thesis considers the historical background, the development, and the characteristics of China’s Christian universities, with a special focus on their curriculum design. Through the lens of postmodern theory, the thesis explores the concept and essence of liberal arts education as reflected in the curriculum of the Christian universities through a qualitative methodology, focusing on the analysis of historical archival material. The purpose is to find insights for today’s trend towards reviving liberal arts education in China’s elite universities as a way of countering the influence of utilitarianism and neo-liberalism in an era of economic globalization.M.A
Liberal Arts Education in East Asian Context: Inclusion and Internationalization
No full textNo abstract available
Exploring liberal arts education in the twenty-first century: insights from East Asia, North America, and Western Europe
No full textUsing literature and related documents, the study reviews and analyzes the global trend of liberal arts education (LAE) resurgence and experimentation in different societies across three continents, East Asia, North America, and Western Europe. The study explores how LAE has been incorporated into dif- ferent societies, how the variations in each model reflect local traditions and values, and what these adaptations contribute to the new LAE model. Through the angle of new institutional theory, the study focuses specifically on how these local models are impacted by institutional factors, the constraint of market, policy, state, as well as historical figures or organizations. This research with document analysis of global LAE summarizes the innovation and insights to date and calls for further research on LAE through new institutional theory and ideal types. This study builds the foundation for further research exploring the implementation and educational outcomes of LAE in different societies
Liberal arts education through a Confucian lens: contextualization and indigenization
No full textOriginating in Greco-Roman philosophy and embedded in American higher education, Liberal Arts Education (LAE) has evolved into a global model of undergraduate education. Despite its Western origins, LAE is gaining prominence in diverse contexts, particularly in East Asia. While previous research has explored this global trend, regional variations, and specific cases of LAE, it remains unclear how to understand its adaptation in non-Western contexts without reducing it to a mere decoupling process. Using three case studies and drawing on data from university documents and interviews with faculty members and administrators, this study explores the contextualization and indigenization of LAE in three societies – mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan – that share a common Confucian heritage. The findings reveal that, in these societies, LAE incorporates values and educational thoughts rooted in Confucian traditions in the concept and goals. LAE is referred to as Boya Jiaoyu in Chinese and emphasizes the concept of ‘person-making’ (zuoren) drawing on whole person development in Confucian tradition, an egalitarian approach to education, and education as a long-term continuous project. This study demonstrates that the core understanding and values of LAE in East Asian contexts diverge from their Western counterparts by emphasizing Confucian educational philosophy rather than Western democratic tradition. This research holds significant implications for the adaptation of LAE in non-Western societies and contributes to the decolonization and indigenization of higher education reforms by uncovering and embracing their distinct social traditions and cultural values
A Comparative Analysis of Liberal Arts Models in Three Institutions from Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan
No full textThis research aims to examine the liberal arts models of three institutions in three Chinese societies. The theoretical framework for the study is the capabilities approach. I use a qualitative method of document analysis to examine educational goals, missions, and curricula in the three institutions. The research finds that, with a focus on whole-person cultivation, liberal arts education in the three institutions follows the global model, but their curricula and understandings of liberal arts education are influenced by their social contexts and specific political, cultural, and historical factors. The study contributes to research regarding the diversification of university models at a time when the global research university dominates all ranking systems
Cultivating Whole Persons through Liberal Arts Education: A Case Study of Three Universities in Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan
No full textThis study explores Liberal Arts Education (LAE) in three institutions in Chinese contexts to see how their LAE is designed and implemented toward whole person cultivation by nurturing students as responsible citizens with capabilities needed in the uncertain future of the 21st century. In contrast to human capital theory, the study takes the lens of the capabilities approach to examine liberal arts models and their innovative practices for nurturing the all-around development of critical thinking, civic engagement, and intercultural competence. The study adopts a mixed-methods design, using data such as curriculum documents, interviews with administrators and faculty members, and surveys with students and alumni. I examined how universities design and adapt LAE models into their social and cultural contexts. I found that the three universities integrated cultural tradition and social factors into their LAE, so as to form an ideal higher education with a focus on the value of person-making or whole person development rooted in a Chinese cultural tradition. There are also differences in LAE in the three societies with Yuanpei influenced by the socialist context in Mainland China, Lingnan situated in the practically oriented international city of Hong Kong, and greater emphasis on traditional Chinese culture and the influence of Christian tradition in Tunghai, situated in Taiwan. Following the common model of broad knowledge, residential learning, close student-faculty relationships, small-class teaching, and extra-curricular activities, the LAE in the three institutions constitutes an educational philosophy and mode of learning focusing on mentorship experience, participation, and an experiential process, which prepares students for future uncertainties with a sense of responsibility and capabilities both for personal flourishing and sustainable development. This educational philosophy and mode of learning can find its roots in both Western and Confucian learning approaches. Given the massification of higher education, findings from the three institutions indicated that LAE in these Chinese contexts has moved away from the elite status it often held in the past and is offered to the majority of students for the cultivation of abilities needed for the future. It thus contributes to inclusion and social equity in the 21st century.Ph.D
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