|
|
Chinese studies enhanced by donor supportTangRobie Liscomb photo
|
Funded by a donation from Dr. Henry Fong, a longtime supporter of education, the university has created the Dr. Henry Y.W. Fong scholars program&emdash;a new, three-pronged initiative to enhance Chinese language training, sponsor visiting Chinese scholars, and help finance Canada/China student exchanges.
"This program will have a dramatic impact on the university's ability to advance Chinese scholarship," says UVic President Dr. David Strong.
At the core of the new program are courses in Chinese language and culture offered by the university's department of Pacific and Asian studies. Although the language courses have been offered for years, recent patterns of immigration to B.C. have drastically altered the numbers and demographic mix of students wanting to take them.
"Due to the large influx of immigrants from Hong Kong and other Chinese-speaking regions, there are increasing numbers of Chinese Canadians who have spent most of their lives in B.C.," explains Dr. Richard King, chair of the department. "These students may be fluent in some form of Chinese, usually Cantonese, but are losing contact with their original culture," he says.
Many students want to learn the standard language (Mandarin) spoken in China and Taiwan, but may feel out of place in language classes with beginners, or those who are more literate, says King. So UVic has added a new, intermediate series of courses.
"We now have the flexibility to deal with the particular needs of the student," he says. "People who speak and write some Chinese can be slotted into the courses that best serve their ability, and they can learn Mandarin at the correct speed."
The courses were introduced two years ago for a trial period. Now, funded by $47,500 from the new Fong scholars program, the courses will continue under the supervision of Karen Tang, who has been named the Dr. Henry Y.W. Fong senior scholar in Chinese culture and language. Born in China and raised in Taiwan, Tang earned an MA in Chinese studies from UBC before joining UVic in 1985.
Tang is the one who proposed the intermediate language course stream, and designed it to introduce students to the concept of modern Chinese thought. "Students are not just learning a spoken language," she says. "At the same time they can evaluate their own backgrounds and learn about traditional Chinese values." There's also an introductory course on Chinese culture, which is offered in English to anyone on campus.
In addition, another $7,500 will support an annual presentation by a visiting scholar in Chinese studies. Two lectures are envisaged; one at the university and one at a downtown location. "The first would be aimed at the campus community and the second to the larger community, including the Chinese Canadian community," says King.
And $10,000 will support travel scholarships to assist five UVic students travelling to China, Taiwan or Hong Kong for study or work terms, and five students coming from those countries to study at UVic.
Henry Fong is the chair of five major corporations in Hong Kong, past board member of the Hong Kong Red Cross and former principal director of the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals. In November 1997, UVic presented Fong with an honorary degree for his achievements in business and his support of community service organizations.
