News

Prof. Zee Sze Yong made the first speech titled "Quality and High Impact Learning in Liberal Arts". In his speech, he encouraged different models of Liberal Arts Education in different educational institutions. He quoted Chinese Former leader Mao Zedong's words:" Let a hundred flowers bloom". As how to organize and run the general education curricula, different institutions could have different ways depending on their vision, mission, history, heritage and culture etc.

Dr. Larry Goodwin gave a speech titled "Liberal Education and the Love of Learning". He said that: "The most precious gift that we can give to students through liberal education is the love of learning. What students learn at college is obviously important, and the capacities that they develop for further learning are also important. But both the substance of what they learn and the ability to keep learning are not of much value if students do not have the desire to learn." He said as the Greeks spoke of philosophers as those who loved wisdom, in this sense, the goal of liberal arts education is to create philosophers who love the pursuit of the truth.

Dr. Goodwin suggested three ways that teachers can do to create the best possible condition for students to fall in love with learning. First: teachers need to create the right campus environment, one with high standard and expectations of students. Second: teachers can foster the love of learning by modeling it themselves. "Nothing is as contagious as passion, and often, students will fall in love with a subject just because their professor is in love with it." And third, which Dr. Goodwin viewed as most important: teachers should help students see the connection between learning and human happiness. "One of the great themes in Greek thought is that human happiness consists of living our lives according to what is true", said Dr. Goodwin.

During her speech titled "Celebrating Liberal Education through a Whole Student Approach", President of Hamline University, Dr. Linda Hanson said UIC's "Whole Person Education" and Hamline's approach of developing whole student through a liberal education had many similarities, and also there was much to learn from each other. She said liberal education would be beneficial for students, as they would leave the college and enter a multi-cultural and global environment.

In closing, Dr. Hanson commended UIC students for their achievements, for reaching their goals an for challenging themselves to reach beyond the norm. She shared a quote from John Wesley which summed up their expectations and helps to set students on the path to self discovery, academic excellence and community awareness:

"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, for as long as ever you can."

Reported by Richard Xu
Photo by Elaine Hong
Media and Communication Office