Chinese Studies Program
For full details on the Chinese Studies program in the Chinese
language please see the CSP website at http://www.regentcsp.org
VISION,
GOALS AND POSITION
The vision of Regent College's Chinese Studies Program
is to focus on the relationship between Christianity and Chinese
culture from the strategic location of Vancouver, B.C., Canada.
In the past decade, Vancouver has become an enclave for a large
number of overseas Chinese intellectuals pursuing scholarly research,
as well as for many Chinese immigrants from the Pacific Rim seeking
to settle in this country. With a vibrant Chinese community settled
in this most livable city, enriched by a multi-cultural environment,
many Chinese students are coming here for further studies at University
of B.C.
Located right on the campus of University of B.C., Regent College's
Chinese Studies Program (CSP) naturally become a gateway through
which the West can reach out to the Asia Pacific regions, as well
as being a bridge for Mainland China to meet the culture of the
West. It is an ideal meeting place for Chinese scholars and Western
academics to facilitate this cross cultural dialogue between Christianity
and Chinese culture. On the other hand, students and immigrants
from Pacific Rim are given the opportunity to explore the cultures
of the West, including Christianity, in an open and free environment.
Regent College's CSP has been established to facilitate
this cross-cultural dialogue. It started in 1985 in the form of
an annual Spring Conference focusing on discussion on Christianity
and Chinese culture. In the ensuing ten years, the CSP has become
an integral part of the Regent College with a Chinese speaking
curriculum and a variety of academic activities specifically designed
to encourage scholars to engage in Christian studies in a Chinese
cultural context. Through research and publication the CSP also
seeks to assist Christianity to take root in the Chinese society
through a critical understanding of the culture based on the Scriptures.
Affiliated with the renowned University of British Columbia,
students of Regent College's CSP have access to the 2nd largest
library in Canada, while the recreational facilities and other
student services on campus are theirs to enjoy. Regent College
was ranked top among the Christian theological institutions in
North America by “"Christianity Today" (1993)
in its community life, spiritual emphasis and academic standards.
Every year, the exciting intensive Summer School has been attended
by over a thousand students from all over of the world.
In early June 2004, five Regent College faculty members joined
Dr. Edwin Hui, Dean of the Chinese Studies Program, in a tour
of China. They were warmly received and honored by many of the
top universities. Representatives of these universities confirmed
that in the field of Christian Studies, Regent College is the
best known and most widely respected western institution in China.
Regent College's People's Republic of China (PRC) Scholars
Program has done much to explain Christianity's significance as
a cultural and living religious movement and its influence on
the development of Western and Eastern philosophy.
Joint Education Project with Universities in Mainland China
The CSP has established cooperative agreements with universities
in the PRC to jointly educate doctoral students. Each year, a
limited number of Ph.D. candidates from institutions in China
will be selected to come to Regent College for a period of not
more than six months to study and perform academic research related
to their dissertation in the areas of Christian philosophy and
theology. Official joint-education program has now been established
with:
- Peking University
- Fudan University
- Zhejiang University
- Renmin University of China
- Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Institute of World Religions
- Wuhan University
- Zhongshan University
- Sichuan University
- Shandong University
- Central University of Nationality
From 1996 to present, we had over 100PhD candidates finished
this program over the last 10 years. Those students who returned
to China have become lecturers or professors in Christian studies
throughout China and are making a significant impact in the lives
of the younger generation.
ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES
Conferences
The CSP Had organized an annual Spring Conference on Christianity
and Chinese culture, as well as on issues pertaining to the Chinese
church in North America since 1995. A partial listing of previous
conference topics includes:
- “"Cults and Superstition"
- “"Homosexuality: The Christian Response"
- “"Contextualization of Christianity in the Chinese
Setting: Its Implementation and Limitation"
- “"Towards a Mature English Ministry - The Canadian
Chinese Church in Transition"
In addition, public lectures and conferences are being offered
regularly throughout the academic year of the visiting scholars
according to their specialties.
