|
|
National Conference of Deans of College of Liberal Arts Held at NCKU
Reinstating the Far-Reaching Influence of Humanism and Her Leading Role in Crisis
The 3rd National Conference of Deans of College of Liberal Arts was held at NCKU on January 8th, 2009. In this Conference, comprehensive discussion and exchange were made on new directions for the 21st century humanities education and Ministry of Education Advisory Office’s continuous promotion of “Mid-term Educational Improvement Plan on Humanities and the Social Sciences”, aiming to contribute to humanities education, facilitating interschool collaboration and sharing of resources.
Director Tang K. Tang of the Advisory Office, Ministry of Education, Academician Michael Ming-Chiao Lai, President of NCKU, and Dean Chang-Ming Chen of College of Liberal Arts, NCKU, were invited as the honored guests to the opening ceremony. Humanism, in the 21st century, still anchors on human dignity and the civilization built upon it. Human behavior should meet modern etiquette of civilization, and this spirit should permeate to all spheres to induce the “great transformation”.
To improve education on humanities and the social sciences, the Advisory Office of Ministry of Education promotes the “Mid-term Educational Improvement Plan on Humanities and the Social Sciences”. In the past, education in Taiwan over-emphasized on professional skills and neglected cultivation of humanism, resulting in a mechanical educational environment not conducive to creating leaders. Outstanding leaders are supposed to be equipped with broad knowledge and lofty wisdom, all-encompassing and selfless compassion, noble ethics and civilized speech. Moreover, they are supposed to be cultivated with qualities such as literary aesthetics, philosophical acumen, historical insight, artistic innovation, linguistic communication and religious mercy. What really makes people succeed or fail is their humanism quality, thoughts, compassion, ideas and strengths. Though exchange of ideas, the Annual Conference aims to re-position between ideal and reality, find new direction for humanism in Taiwan in the 21st century, and promote the quality of liberal arts education in higher education.
In the welcoming speech, President Lai stated that in the 21st century, information and knowledge are growing at an exponential rate. Therefore, modern universities should aim more to equip students with professional knowledge and skills. In the coming “flat” global village era, information will blossom and new areas will come into existence. Students need broad perspective, lifelong learning ability, international communication ability and compassion for humanity, the Earth and society. Hence, university education should strive for equal emphasis on humanities and professional education, cross-disciplinary liberal education, cultivation of creativity, cultivation of international perspective and communication ability, entrepreneurships and leadership ability, social responsibility and compassion for humanity.
He said that it would not be the knowledge gained at university making people successful in a given field, but self-learning ability and good humanism quality making it possible for them to integrate and get the knack of everything, learn new things continuously and broaden their horizon would make them excel.
President Lai pointed out in his keynote speech “Broaden Horizon and Strategies for Humanities and Culture: a NCKU Case Study” that NCKU, while holding on to her top domestic university legend, she now further aims to upgrade to an international comprehensive university, cultivating leaders with humanism quality, professional knowledge, creativity, international perspective, and compassion for society. To implement whole-person education, NCKU is also developing cross-field research to contribute to the society and benefit human kind.
President Jong-Tsun Huang of China Medical University, in his keynote speech “Crisis and Opportunity of the 21st Century Humanities Education”, pointed out that from the perspective of global circumstance and current state of the era, the world is in a new crisis. The rapid development of knowledge economy leads to new forms of disparity, and manifests various issues of equality and justice. Hence, it is impossible to avoid facing the big question of compassion for humanity and the ultimate purpose of human existence. When the world is in crisis, humanism must come up with a prospect because the world needs her guidance.
Adapted from NCKU News
Translated by Helen Chang The Banyan Editorial Office
|
|
|
