Campus Digest
Dr Nancy Chapman shares insights on advancement of higher education at HKBU Distinguished Lecture
08 Sep 2017
At a distinguished lecture on 6 September, Dr Nancy Chapman, President of the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia (United Board) and one of this year’s Honorary University Fellows, referred to the history of the United Board as a case study and shared her views on the challenges and rewards of international educational exchange.
In the lecture, “The United Board at 100: A Century of Lessons Learned Across Oceans and Cultures”, Dr Chapman talked about the challenges that the United Board has faced in advancing the development of whole person education and Christian values in colleges and universities throughout Asia, and how the Board has resolved them.
Dr Chapman said that the United Board is committed to education that develops the whole person, and during its early development in China, it sought to combine the best of China and the West, provide a broad-based curriculum in the arts and sciences, and disseminate knowledge to meet the needs of society. It also introduced a new model of liberal arts education and a culture of nurturing the whole person to China.
Dr Chapman explained that by the 1950s, due to the social and political situation in China, the United Board chose to reshape its mission and expand its geographical reach. This paved the way for establishing comprehensive and solid relationships with tertiary institutions in Asia.
She reiterated that change is inevitable and added that the United Board’s development should be fit for purpose but still adhere to its traditions, values and mission.
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