Harvard Scholar Gives Talk On Challenge Of Educating Leaders

April 23, 2010 - PRLog -- Harvard scholar and University Grants Committee Member Professor William Kirby today (22 April) gave a talk on the topic of "Educating Leaders: Challenges for Hong Kong and Greater China in the 21st Century" on the campus of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU).

Professor Kirby is warmly welcomed by PolyU President Professor Timothy W. Tong and staff and students of the University. In his welcoming address, Professor Tong said, "In what way and in what direction should we re-vitalize the undergraduate education so that we could nurture the right leaders for our future. I am sure our audience will be enlightened by Professor Kirby’s insights on educating individuals."

A historian of modern China, Professor Kirby is the Spangler Family Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School and T. M. Chang Professor of China Studies at Harvard University. He is a Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor. He serves as Director of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies and Chairman of the Harvard China Fund.

Professor Kirby is no stranger to Hong Kong and he has been serving as a Member of UGC since August 2009. His work examines China's business, economic, and political development in an international context. His current projects include case studies of contemporary Chinese businesses and a comparative study of higher education in China and the United States. He is Honorary Visiting Professor at Peking University, Nanjing University, Chongqing University, and Fudan University.

The lecture by Professor Kirby has attracted a full house of more than 250 audience comprising staff, students and external guests. It is followed by a round-table discussion between Professor Kirby and senior members of PolyU on issues of higher education.

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PolyU offers a wide range of courses which directly meets industrial, commercial and community needs. It also provides the public and private sectors in Hong Kong with expanding range of consultancy, professional training and applied research services.