The workshop, co-organised by LEWI and IIBD, was held at our University on Thursday, 5 October 2006. The workshop was held alongside the fourth biennial joint board meeting for the benefit of participating members. The focus of this year’s workshop was on how globalisation and internationalisation affect universities in the East and the West and what strategies the university has developed to manage these global challenges.

Drs. Jane Knight from Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, gave a keynote speech entitled “Internationalisation in the 21st Century: Evolution or Revolution?”. In her presentation, Drs. Knight discussed whether the transformation brought about by globalisation on internationalisation is part of an evolutionary or revolutionary process, and what the major benefits and risks are. Drawing on findings from a survey on internationalisation carried out by the International Association of Universities in 2005, she also discussed issues such as competitiveness, commercialization, networks, quality assurance, foreign language learning, geographical priorities, future growth areas, driving rationales and the actual benefits/risks associated with internationalisation of higher education.

Drs. Knight’s speech was followed by a plenary session on “Regional Integration of Higher Education: Development and Tendencies”. In the panel, three representatives from Asia, Europe and North America (Professor Y. K. Fan, Vice President for Development, Hong Kong Baptist University, Professor William Mitchell, Director and Jo Murphy Chair, Baylor University and Dr. Jan Olof Nilsson, Associate Professor, Lund University) presented tendencies/policies of integration of higher education in their own region and discussed how the system of higher education in their region has changed, or is changing, to cope with or promote internationalisation.

A student sharing session was held before the lunch break. Six students were invited to share their experiences of studying abroad and exchange views on topics such as: ‘What demands and expectations do you (students) have when universities are developing strategies for internationalisation?’. A better understanding of the students’ perspectives on issues as such would help universities as they make strategies for internationalisation.

Another plenary session on “Consortia Experiences: Cooperation and Competition” was held in the afternoon. Three distinguished scholars and experts in the field of higher education spoke on collaboration between universities in consortia, that is, how universities make coalitions and alliances with other universities for joint programmes, exchange, research, etc. The panelists were: Professor Cheng Kai-ming, Chair Professor of Education, The University of Hong Kong, Dr. Betty Abregana, Programme Director for South Asia, Asian Christian Higher Education Institute and Dr. Thomas Shostak, Dean of Lifelong Learning, Ohio University.

Dr. Kjell Nilsson of Lund University and convener of the workshop then shared with the audience the findings of a global survey. The survey, designed by Dr. Nilsson and conducted in June 2006, aimed at collecting data on internationalisation of higher education. Dr. Nilsson presented interesting findings obtained from the survey, which include advantages and disadvantages of curricula cooperation and internationalisation, as well as obstacles for exchange and cooperation. The findings brought out the discussion for the next session, the open floor discussion.

At the open floor discussion session, participants eagerly responded to Dr. Knight’s speech and questions raised by Dr. Nilsson at the survey findings presentation. Participants suggested that a similar workshop be held in the near future to continue the exchange and sharing of research data and the fruitful debates on international education.

Over forty-five people participated in the workshop, and among the participants, half were from LEWI and IIBD member institutions.

'Dr. Jane Knight giving the keynote speech

The day after the workshop, members of LEWI and IIBD gathered for the fourth joint board meeting. The one-day meeting, held at our University’s Council Chamber, was attended by over twenty representatives from the two consortiums and HKBU. At the morning session, members discussed the joint board business and the LEWI business, and IIBD business was discussed in the afternoon session. Important decisions were made at the meeting, including the restructuring of the Executive Committee, revisions of LEWI and IIBD membership, and the date and topic of the 2008 workshop and 2009 conference.

It was decided that the existing Executive Committee, which oversees both LEWI and IIBD business, will be restructured to form two new committees, one attending to LEWI matters and the other IIBD. With regard to LEWI and IIBD membership, the Board decided to eliminate any geographical requirement for new membership, and to create a new membership category called ‘LEWI Member’. The membership fee for ‘LEWI Member’ would be USD20,000 (a joining fee of USD10,000 plus two years’ membership fee of USD5,000 per year).

With regard to the 2008 workshop, the Board decided that the topic of the workshop will be “Innovation and Entrepreneurship”. It would be a 2 to 2.5 day event held in-mid November 2008. LEWI, IIBD and the School of Business of HKBU will co-organise the event. As for the 2009 conference, the topic will be “Chinatowns in the World”. Simon Fraser University has agreed to host the conference, which will be held in Vancouver in May 2009.

The Executive Committee also met in the evenings before and after the board meeting. The last meeting elected members for the new LEWI Executive Committee for 2006-2008: Baylor University, Keimyung University, Nanjing University and Lund University, and the date of the next Executive Committee meeting is set for 16 April 2007. Assumption University in Thailand will host the meeting.  

Professor Richard Balme, former Head of Department of Government and International Studies (GIS), HKBU, and Director of Europe-China Research Programme, left HKBU in August 2006 to take up a teaching position at Peking University. Professor Ting Wai, Acting Head of GIS, succeeded Professor Balme as Director of the Programme in September 2006. At the Executive Committee held on 5 October, members of the Executive Committee welcomed Professor Ting on board. Prof. Ting expressed that he would make effort to lead the Programme to achieve stronger and more integrated collaboration among LEWI member universities.

“Social Policy, Law and Contemporary Family”, 9 November 2006
Speaker: Professor Brenda Almond, Emeritus Professor of Moral and Social Philosophy, University of Hull, UK

LEWI and the Department of Sociology co-organised a seminar, “Social Policy, Law and Contemporary Family”, on 9 November. In the seminar, Professor Brenda Almond discussed the way that many aspects of public policy, from economic and legal changes governing marriage and child-raising to civil partnerships and same-sex marriage, impact upon the traditional family.

Professor Brenda Almond, Emeritus Professor of Moral and Social Philosophy, University of Hull, UK and University Fellow, Hong Kong Baptist University

“Like Sons and Daughters of Hong Kong: The Return of the Young Generation”, 16 November 2006

LEWI co-organised another seminar, “Like Sons and Daughters of Hong Kong: The Return of the Young Generation”, with the Department of Sociology on 16 November. In the seminar, Professor Janet Salaff, Professor Emerita of the University of Toronto, discussed the findings of her research on transnational youth who migrated with their families from Hong Kong to Toronto in the 80s. Many children of these immigrant families have obtained overseas citizenship after the 1997 handover and are facing the decision of where to work and live now. Professor Salaff argued that social networks greatly influence their settlement decision.

Professor Janet Salaff delivered a seminar on transnational youth on 16 November 2006

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Distinguished Lecture Series on Communication and Cultural studies

“Current and Future Development in Public Relations Research”, 9 October 2006

In the seminar, Professor James Grunig and Professor Larissa Grunig traced the origins and continuing development of a research tradition that conceptualizes public relations as strategic management function rather than as a messaging, publicity, and media relations function, and discussed new research on environmental scanning, scenario building, relationship cultivation strategies and empowerment of public relations. They concluded that the greatest challenge for scholars now is to learn how to institutionalize strategic public relations as an ongoing, accepted practice in most organisations.

“After transition: A Comparative Analysis of the Media and Social Change in Poland, Russia and China”, 4 December 2006
Speaker: Professor Colin Sparks, Professor of Media Studies and Director of the Communication and Media Research Institute, University of Westminster

In the seminar, Professor Sparks reviewed the evidence of media and social change in the three countries that have moved away from the classical communist model: Poland, Russia and China. He then discussed the two different theoretical models of explaining change, and his own model of elite continuity. He argued that, despite its limited origins in time and place, the theory of elite continuity offers a better explanation for the real course of events than does the alternative.

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Seminars by RGS students (21 Nov & 11 Dec 2006)

Zhang Yong, Tsinghua University, China
Field supervisor at HKBU: Prof. Terry Yip, Department of English Language and Literature

Zhang Yong is a Ph.D. student from Tsinghua University. The title of his presentation is “Modern, Keyword in Shanghai Culture in the 1930s”.

In his presentation, Zhang Yong discussed the meaning of the Chinese word modeng (transliteration of ‘modern’) in Shanghai in the 1930s. The word modeng was first used in Shanghai in late 1920s. It initially carried the meaning of ‘contemporary’, but as time passed, more people took it as a synonym for ‘trendy’ and some even considered it as an adjective containing negative connotation. Through examining the changing meaning of modeng, we can see how the concept of ‘contemporary’ was viewed differently by scholars and critics in Shanghai of the 1930s.

Zhang Yong presented his seminar on 21 November 2006

Shi Jing, Peking University, China
Field supervisor at HKBU: Prof. Huang Ziping, Department of Chinese Language and Literature

Shi Jing is a Ph.D. candidate from Peking University. The title of her presentation is “The Impact of 20th Century Chinese Literature and Overseas Literary Criticism on the Autonomy of Contemporary Chinese Literature”. The concept of “20th Century Literature” has been a topic of much debate recently. The concept, raised by a group of academics at Peking University in 1985, is seen as crucial to the development of contemporary Chinese Literature.

In her seminar, Shi Jing introduced the concepts of literary autonomy, 20th Century Chinese Literature and contemporary Chinese literature, and explained the complicated relationship between them. Shi Jing also highlighted the importance of Hong Kong and Taiwan literature, especially their literary criticism, on the development of contemporary Chinese literature.

Shi Jing gave a presentation on the autonomy of contemporary Chinese Literature on 21 November 2006

Zeng Fanxu, Communication University of China

Field supervisor at HKBU: Professor Huang Yu, Department of Journalism

Zeng Fanxu, a Ph.D. candidate from Communication University of China, delivered a seminar entitled “Media strategy of NGO: A Case Study of Greenpeace in China”. In his presentation, Zeng Fanxu discussed how Greenpeace made use of flexible media strategy to raise public concern about a lucrative commercial development of a forest located in the Yunnan province. Through the case study, we can see the strategies adopted by the Chinese media in reporting NGO-related issues and the change of interactions between NGO and the Chinese government in recent years.

Zeng Fanxu gave a case study of the media strategy of Greenpeace in China on 21 November 2006

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Professor Poshek Fu, Professor of History at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, visited LEWI from 7-13 December 2006. During his visit, he met with Dr. Yeh, Associate Director of LEWI, to discuss a collaborative project on China diaspora and transnational Chinese film business practice. A tentative plan was drawn up, which might include a book anthology and an academic conference. 

Recent Visits by Member Institutions

Visit by Strathclyde University (10 Nov 2006)

Professor Colin Eden, Director of Strathclyde University’s Graduate School of Business, visited LEWI on 10 November. He met with Professor Chan Kwok-bun, Director of LEWI, to discuss ways for closer collaborations. Professor Eden replaces Dr. Alf Hatton as LEWI representative at Strathclyde. At the meeting, Professor Chan also reported the items that were discussed at the fourth joint board meeting of LEWI and IIBD, including the 2008 Workshop on Entrepreneurship in China and the 2009 Conference on Chinatowns in the world. Professor Eden expressed that Strathclyde would be interested in participating in both events and requested more information be sent to him when available.

Visit by Baylor University (1 Dec 2006)

Professor Michael Morrison, William Boswell Chair of Law & Director Elect – Centre for International Education, Baylor University, visited LEWI during his trip to Hong Kong in early December. Our Executive Officer, Hidy Ng, greeted him and discussed with him how to make better use of the Baylor office. Professor Morrison will succeed Professor William Mitchell as LEWI representative at Baylor starting from February 2007.

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