An International Forum on Ecological Civilization and Higher Education saw a number of scholars from China and the US discuss at UIC on 26 May.
They spoke of theoretical principles and practical issues of the ecological civilization, with special focus on the development of a university town wherein the new campus of UIC and the historical Huitong Village are sited.
The forum was organized by UIC and the Associated Colleges of the South in the US.
In his opening address, UIC President Prof Ng Ching-Fai said: “When planning our new campus, what we imagine to build is a small sustainable community - a university town - embodying the principles of the ecological civilization.
“The new campus, the villages next to it, and the natural environment around should form an organic and harmonious whole so as to nurture all people in it, both physically and spiritually.”
Topics varied and ranged from the challenges of educating citizens for ecological civilization, to cases of building public-private partnership and student participation projects, and to people-centred sustainable development.
Presenting their ideas at the forum were Prof Jay McDaniel, the Willis H Holmes Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies at Hendrix College and Director of Ecological Civilization International; Prof Annie Merrill Ingram, the Thomson Professor of Environmental Studies and Professor of English at Davidson College; Prof Paul Custodio Bube, the W Lewis McColgan Professor of Religion at Lyon College; Prof Stephen Field, the Lee Professor in Chinese language and literature and co-director of the East Asian Studies at Trinity University; Dr Zhihe Wang, Co-director of the Institute for Post-modern Development of China in Ontario.
Speakers also included UIC’s Dr Haipeng Guo, Director of Whole Person Education Office (WPEO); Prof Johnston Wong, Programme Director of the Social Work and Social Administration Programme; Prof Daniel Ruan, Professor of the Environmental Science Programme; Dr Siutai Tsim, Associate Professor of Environmental Science Programme and Coordinator of WPEO-Environment and Development Centre.
Reporter: Deen He
Photographers: Cheryl Chen and Irene Yu
(from MPRO, with special thanks to the ELC)
