The First "Enlighten, Explore and Exceed - NanjingTech Wisdom Lecture" entitledEducating Tomorrow’s Global Graduates, Todaywas delivered by Prof. Freddy Boey, Deputy President and Provost of Nanyang Technological University on September 26th. Prof. Freddy Boey shared his experience in university governance and his philosophy of education and elaborated on his idea of how to build up top universities in the world.
Academician and President Huang Wei, in his remarks, explained the connotation and implication of the NanjingTech Wisdom Lecture, which was quoted from the bookDA Xue Wen(literally meaning great learning) written by Wang Yangming, one the greatest scholars in Ming Dynasty. The purpose of NanjingTech Wisdom Lecture is to invite top educationists and scientists from top universities in the world to Enlighten NanjingTech with their successful experience, Explore NanjingTech’s development and help NanjingTech to Exceed. Academician and President Huang introduced the great achievements of Prof. Freddy Boey, a world-famous scientist and educationist who has made remarkable contribution to biomedicine, published over 400 paper on top journals, owned more than 110 patents in Singapore and US, won numerous honors and held many important positions in different organizations at home and abroad. Prof. Freddy Boey played a crucial role in the leaping development of Nanyang Technological University which was established in 1991 and rocketed to be among the world top universities in recent years, ranked 13thin 2015-2016 QS Rankings.
Prof. Freddy Boey pointed out in his lecture that the three key factors for building a top university include the first-class environment, first-class education and the first-class management. He elaborated on the Interactive, Inspirational andInstitutional learninghe advocated in Nanyang Technological University. He said that with the rapid development of information technology, interactive learning has become popular and poses a big a big challenge to traditional teaching. Students do not just listen in class because they can google the knowledge faster than the professors can teach them. He illustrated the Inspirational learning with his own education experience in Australia and emphasized that professors should have the "keys" to motivate students with interests. For Institutional learning, he said that MOOC and other online learning channels can never replace universities because it is human nature for people to feel proud of belonging to the best institutions. It is through the Institutional learning that students gain a sense of belonging.
Prof. Freddy Boey also elaborated on his proposals in the reforms of education. He believed that the traditional education is too passive to meet the need of development of modern society. Universities should not focus on only teaching knowledge and skills but help students to acquire the innovative thinking. He introduced the TEL, Technology Enhanced Learning at Nanyang Technological University, a revolutionary educational reform that costed more than 0.5 billion RMB by recruiting 50 full-time technological staff and cooperating with 7 top IT companies to inspire students for more efficient learning. TEL is different from MOOC, it is a system thatincorporatesindividualized on-line learning, flipped classroom, peer learning and dynamic feedback evaluation.Prof. Freddy Boey pointed out that to build a top university would require big vision, accumulated achievements, powerful execution and united efforts. He spoke highly of NanjingTech’s fast development in recent years and believed that NanjingTech would rank among the top under the leadership of Prof. Huang Wei. After the lecture, Prof. Freddy Boey answered the questions put forward by NanjingTech attendance and discussed in detail on issues of mutual interests in a heated and pleasant atmosphere.
The First "Enlighten, Explore and Exceed - NanjingTech Wisdom Lecture" was attended by NanjingTech leadership, mid-level administrators and faculty and student representatives.
