UIC Founding President and Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) Honorary Doctorate, Prof Ng Ching-Fai gave a lecture on 'Nothing but the Truth' at HKBU and shared his views on liberal arts education on 23 November.
Prof Ng Ching-Fai on liberal arts education
Prof Ng took several Chinese academies as examples to express the characteristics of liberal arts education: the goal of education is not to impart skills; advocate on broad knowledge, encourage raising questions and thinking deeply; open, inclusive academic environment; intimate teacher-student relationship; Whole Person education and concerns for the well-beings of the community and the country.
Prof Ng considers the goal of liberal arts education is to cultivate students to be jun zi (gentlemen) with adequate knowledge and ability to differentiate between virtues and vice, beauty and ugliness, together with compassion for fellow human beings. Meanwhile, to conform to the development pattern of the times, in addition to absorbing elements from all around the world, liberal arts education should also have aspects of Chinese culture. He hopes that while exposing to an international environment and facing multiple cultures with distinct characteristics, students can focus on cultivating tolerance, openness, inclusiveness and empathy.
During the Q&A session, Prof Ng mentioned that in the decades to come, there must be more two-way traffic between cultures. He thinks that the international education and liberal arts education of UIC can cultivate students to be talents of promoting two-way communication. Besides, liberal arts education is not only about the in-class study; as other methods like study trips can also be adopted for teaching.
Prof Ng answers questions from the auidence
A member of the audience raised a question on college study and mentioned the behaviour of students taking courses that are easy to score to improve their GPA. Prof Ng explained that, from the perspective of cultivating students, "GPA is not the only factor a good university oversees."
Chairman of HKBU Council, Dr Clement C.J. Chen, presents Prof Ng with a souvenir
Prof Ng also said, "You have to study, but not only for GPA. What is more important is the understanding and mastery of all kinds of knowledge, and pursue the broad knowledge advocated by liberal arts education."
From MPRO
Editors: Samuel Burgess, Deen He, Zhang Fan
