Edu-renaissance: Notes From A Globetrotting Higher Educator

Book excerpt: Born in New Delhi, raised in Singapore, and educated 'everywhere', including Asia, the United States, and Europe — Professor Feng Da Hsuan (冯达旋) is the epitome of a man who has worn many hats in both the East and West. From being the Vice President for Research and Economic Development of the University of Texas at Dallas, Advisor to the Vice Chairperson of the United States Congressional Armed Services Committee and Senior Vice President of Global Strategy, Development and Evaluation at National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan, to his current position as the Director of Global Affairs and Special Advisor to Rector, University of Macau, Professor Feng's wealth of experience has complemented his inquisitive mind, foresight, and forward-looking nature on education and its future, evident in his speeches, articles, and reviews from the last decade and a half.Edu-renaissance: Notes from a Globetrotting Higher Educator brings together 50 of these pieces and they cover a wide range of ever-relevant topics such as the value of higher education in society, the role Asian universities have in the world, and hot topics like university ranking. Professor Feng also shares his new ideas and insight on promising young universities and higher education in the 21st century. One example is his emphasis on how the promotion of liberal arts and interdisciplinary approaches are the way forward for higher education institutions in the 21st century. By relating these topics to countries such as Taiwan, Korea, India, China, the United States, Israel, and Russia, this volume is ideal for readers who are part of a global community concerned about one of the most important issues in the world today — education.