The Asian Conference on the Liberal Arts 2019 (ACLA2019)
Final Programme
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The Conference Programme contains access information, session information and a detailed day-to-day presentation schedule. All registered delegates who attend conference receive a printed copy of the Conference Programme at the Registration Desk on arrival.
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Conference Theme: "Uncertain Futures: The Role of Liberal Arts Education"
November 08–10, 2019 | Lingnan University, Hong Kong
Welcome to The Asian Conference on the Liberal Arts (ACLA), held concurrently with The IAFOR Conference for Higher Education Research – Hong Kong (CHER–HongKong), and with the combined theme of “Uncertain Futures”, to be held at Lingnan University, Hong Kong’s only public liberal arts university.
Given the rate of change in today’s world, the future has never seemed less certain, to either students or teachers. This conference will concentrate on the role of formal education in preparing students for uncertain futures, and for societies that are changing at great speed.
With the positive aspects of globalisation that have transformed how we work and interact with each other, we must also consider the more negative impacts on societies and the natural environment. For those resistant to the growing interconnectedness brought by globalisation, some retreat into nationalism, regionalism, populism and authoritarianism, frequently driven by fear-based politics, and fears of an uncertain present, and scary future.
Globalisation been driven by massive leaps forward in technology. Technologies have made life better in so many ways, but they have also contributed to great losses of personal privacy, and increased reports of alienation as social media and online life vye for time with “real” life. Until fairly recently, technology was driven by policy, as opposed to the current situation where it exists before any ramifications can be fully considered.
Artificial intelligence and robots are already replacing many more routine jobs, and while technology may create many as yet unimagined jobs, teachers and professors are in the position of having to educate for the unknown. How do we keep the Liberal Arts relative in this high-tech world? How then do we respond effectively to uncertain futures by repurposing liberal arts education? How do we reimagine teaching, lecturing, nurturing, mentoring, and the curation and transmission of knowledge? How do we prepare for students to thrive when confronted with the unexpected? How do we plan for as yet unknown disruptive change?
The past decade has been a challenging one for liberal arts education as it has been seen by some governments and actors as less useful than “more practical” areas of study, by which they mean it is difficult to quantify in the same ways as the sciences, and in particular the “hard” sciences. This has lead, in many countries, to a reappraisal of their role in the face of budget cuts in favour of other subjects, but has also lead to a reconceptualisation and rebranding of the liberal arts, from the futile and fanciful of their caricature, to instead hard- nosed selling of their fundamental need in both analysing and interpreting information, and framing and exploring all other subjects. This is a recognition of their crucial importance in helping foster and nurture the skills that will be required for future generations.
The ACLA and CHER conference will look at these questions and more. In these times of change one thing is certain, we have a lot to learn from each other. We look forward to challenging discussions, engaging ideas, and helping to shape the future when we meet at the conference.
We look forward to seeing you there!
– The ACLA Advisory Board and Organising Committee
Bernard Charnwut Chan, Executive Council of the Government of the Hong Kong SAR, Hong Kong
Joseph Haldane, The International Academic Forum (IAFOR), Japan
Donald E. Hall, University of Rochester, USA
Joshua Mok, Lingnan University, Hong Kong
Ada Wong, Lingnan University, Hong Kong
Weiyan Xiong, Lingnan University, Hong Kong
- Location & Venue: Lingnan University, Hong Kong
- Dates: Friday, November 08, 2019 to Sunday, November 10, 2019
- Conference Theme: "Uncertain Futures: The Role of Liberal Arts Education"
- Early Bird Abstract Submission Deadline: June 28, 2019*
- Final Abstract Submission Deadline: August 29, 2019
- Registration Deadline for Presenters: September 26, 2019
*Submit early to take advantage of the discounted registration rates. Learn more about our registration options.
Keynote Speakers
Featured Speakers
About Lingnan University, Hong Kong
Founded in Guangzhou in 1888 and re-established in Hong Kong in 1967, Lingnan has the longest history among all local tertiary institutions. Its vision is to be a leading Asian liberal arts university with international recognition, distinguished by outstanding teaching, learning, scholarship and community engagement. Lingnan is committed to providing quality whole-person education by combining the best of Chinese and Western liberal arts traditions; nurturing students to achieve all-round excellence and imbuing them with our core values; and encourage faculty and students to contribute to society through original research and knowledge transfer.
On the auspicious occasion of celebrating its golden jubilee, Lingnan has achieved a leap in ranking that puts it in the top 100 Asian universities in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Asia University Rankings 2018. In 2015, Lingnan University was also named as one of the top 10 liberal arts college in Asia by Forbes. Lingnan is dedicated to building an international campus and actively establishing strategic collaborations with prominent universities worldwide.
Visit Hong Kong
As the world’s largest continent continues to develop, so do its educational and academic needs, and as the global economy recentres towards the Asia-Pacific region, the relevance and significance of IAFOR as an interdisciplinary think tank for both Asia and the West grows. With international events held in Hong Kong and Japan, IAFOR's Asian Conference Series is the ideal forum in which to discuss emerging regional and global issues, and to keep up to date with the latest interdisciplinary research across a range of academic fields.
Why Join an IAFOR Conference?
The International Academic Forum (IAFOR) welcomes academics from all over the world to our interdisciplinary conferences held in Asia, Europe, North America and the Middle East. Our events provide a unique international, intercultural and interdisciplinary environment in which to hear the latest world-class research and network with leading academics, professionals and practitioners.
Our conferences are meticulously planned under the direction of prominent academics to ensure that they offer programmes of the highest level, and are supported by some of the world’s leading academic institutions, including the University of London (UK), Virginia Tech (USA), University of Barcelona (Spain), Waseda University (Japan), University of Sussex (UK), Medill School of Journalism (USA), Moscow State University (Russia) and The University of Tokyo (Japan).
By facilitating dialogue between the world’s academics and thought leaders, IAFOR has become a pioneer in providing the research avenues and visionary development solutions that are necessary in our rapidly emerging globalised world. We welcome you to engage in this expanding global academic community of individuals and network of institutions, and look forward to seeing you at one of our future events.