Filled with sparkling thoughts and critical ideas, the 7th Sino-American Liberal Arts Forum 2013 was held at UIC on 13 November.
（From left） MPCC Board member Mr Robert M Mattison, UIC Vice President Prof Zee Sze-Yong and Augsburg College President Dr Paul C Pribbenow have a discussion with the audience at the 2013 Sino-American Liberal Arts Forum
The Forum was organized by UIC and the Minnesota Private College Council (MPCC). Augsburg College President Dr Paul C Pribbenow, UIC Vice President Prof Zee Sze-Yong, and MPCC Board member Mr Robert M Mattison delivered Presidential Lectures on the topic “Morality and Liberal Arts Education”.
“Renew our friendships”
“The Forum has not only given us opportunities to continue a dynamic dialogue on the liberal arts, but also to further strengthen our relationship, to develop new initiatives and formats of academic exchange and, above all, to renew our friendships,” said UIC President Prof Ng Ching-Fai in the welcoming address.
UIC President Prof Ng Ching-Fai (left): renew our friendships
Right before the Presidential Lectures, UIC and Augsburg College renewed their Memorandum of Understanding and enhanced an exchange student agreement.
“The MPCC is deeply dedicated to the relationship with UIC. I’m looking forward to a continuing maturation of this bond,” Augsburg College President Dr Paul Pribbenow said.
Hospitality and the demands of justice
Dr Paul Pribbenow then spoke of “Hospitality is not enough … Social justice, the liberal arts and the work of our colleges and universities”.
“It is very important to be hospitable and, in fact, that’s all we were doing. But at the same time, how do we connect it to liberal arts education, challenging ourselves in thinking about how we are active on behalf of justice in the world?”
Dr Pribbenow said civility is democracy in action and includes generosity and trust. It requires our sacrifice from everyone. “Rules of civility are rules of morality. We should come into the presence of our fellow human beings with a sense of awe and gratitude.”
“Genuine hospitality offers mercy, so that it might know the mercy that comes from engagement with others.” He believes that we are called to “serve our neighbour and see the neighbourhood as a classroom”.
He explained how Augsburg College has done its work. “The work of hospitality and justice is grounded on a curriculum plan, an experiential bias, an exposure to injustice (critical pedagogy in community), and a teaching and learning community marked by ‘the grace of great things’.
“Liberal arts colleges are off the main road. Our college has a vision of common life that is ‘co-created’ by all staff and students, a vision of neighbourhood well-being, of horizons of the world.
“Augsburg College educates students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders.
“The Augsburg experience is supported by and engaged with the community, committed to international diversity in its life and work.”
Building student’s character
Later, UIC Vice President Prof Zee Sze-Yong shared his personal view on moral education and building student’s character from the perspective of Hong Kong and mainland China.
Prof Zee acknowledged that moral education is one of the most important elements of education in both Hong Kong and mainland China, yet it is still feeble.
“For a long time colleges and universities in mainland China and Hong Kong have relaxed their effort to build this very important element into their curricula and educational ethos, especially at the tertiary level.
“Moreover, most of the youngsters who are qualified to be educated in universities nowadays came from families that were mostly over-caring and over-protective of their children,” he said.
Prof Zee highlighted the basic moral values that human beings wish to learn and inherit. “In my opinion, the following are particularly pertinent and important: a general disapproval of violence, bullying, lying, cheating, plagiarizing, breaking promises, greed, acting in self-serving ways, impoliteness, selfishness, and lack of respect for others.”
Besides, he believes educators should “do something extra outside the curriculum to reinforce in the minds of students the moral values”.
He illuminated how UIC, as a liberal arts college, has practically implemented moral education. “We develop a good Mentoring and Residential Hall Tutoring system for our students, and establish courses that can effectively strengthen students’ moral values, enhance their sense of righteousness and show them how to lead a life of virtue.
“For a college or university to be successful in building up the character of its students it is most important to try its utmost to uphold its own moral and ethical standards and observe high standards of integrity and decency, including its academic standards.”
Liberal arts and career
“I have been thinking hard about what I can say about the value of liberal arts to business professionals that will add something to the long-standing debate of the value of liberal arts,” MPCC Board member Mr Robert M Mattison said.
“In fact, with me or with anybody like business executives, lawyers, political leaders or teachers - in my opinion, it takes a lot more than just the technical skills and knowledge to be effective in those roles. It takes qualities, characteristics and abilities that most people acquire from the process we call education.”
He quoted from Albert Einstein that education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school. “In fact we forget most of what we learn at school at some point or another, but educated people learn a much more important skill: they learn how to learn.
“When I started my career, I knew nothing about marketing, finance, economics, human resources, manufacturing or any other basic thing that is needed in a functional business environment. I learned from my job, a few formal courses, patient colleagues and in other ways.”
He then elaborated by giving examples of some successful leaders in business, computer, mathematics and other industries, who received a liberal arts education.
“Everything comes and is formed and shaped by its historical and cultural context. Studying liberal arts helps people understand the existence of that context so that they can go and discover what that context is and understand things within it.”
Mr Mattison thinks there are some extremely important characteristics fostered by liberal arts education: curiosity, integrity (honesty or leadership), dealing with ambiguity, and seeking to understand.
“Liberal arts education benefits you well beyond your career. My education brought a lot to me in terms of enjoying and appreciating the world around me. Every time you hear a piece of music, read a poem, visit a museum or look up to the stars, you will enjoy more than an expertise because you know how to find out more and learn more. That is the tremendous value of liberal arts education. It pays benefits not only in career but also in life,” he concluded.
Guests from the MPCC and UIC leadership
Reporter: Sean Chung
Photographers: Wei Shen, Jack Xiao, Sun Ruoyu, Sean Chung and Deen He
Editor: Deen He
(from MPRO, with special thanks to the ELC)
