
“Carol MA Hok-Ka and her colleagues from Chinese universities illustrate how service-learning, informed by Confucian philosophy and Chinese cultural values, has created a new paradigm for Chinese higher education. Exemplary service-learning programs involving students in the social, behavioral, communication, and health sciences; philosophy and humanities; education; finance; and tourism management are described. The rapid emergence of professional service-learning associations in Southeast Asia affirms that the concept of the T-shaped student is gaining global perspective within diverse cultural contexts. The volume is a must-read for individuals interested in and engaged with the growing intersection of Western and Eastern approaches to higher education.”
—Hiram E. Fitzgerald, Associate Provost for University Outreach and Engagement, Michigan State University
“MA, CHAN, LIU, and MAK provide us with a remarkable entry into the evolving theory and practice of service-learning in China. Linking Dewey and Confucius, they show how China is both extending and innovating our understanding of service learning. Remarkable.”
—Budd L. Hall, Professor of Community Development and Co-Chair of the UNESCO Chair in Community Based Research and Social Responsibility in Higher Education, University of Victoria, Canada
“Service-learning has been developing rapidly in the higher education sector in Asia in general and China in particular. This book is a significant addition to the existing literature. It contains not only refined basic concepts and some new disciplinary perspectives but also many most interesting, innovative, and enlightening case studies on service-learning programs in China.”
—Edward K. Y. Chen, Chairman of Hong Kong University School of Professional and Continuing Education, and former President, Lingnan University, Hong Kong
“This is an excellent chronicle of the development of global service-learning and is a must-read challenge to the idea that service-learning is exclusively a Western pedagogy. The editors are not only chroniclers but also key actors in the expansion of service-learning in China, who write with the authority of being part of this expansion. With enthusiasm they present a nice blend of local campus case studies, empirical data, philosophy, and policy. The translation and explanation of foundational Confucian Chinese concepts is so helpful, especially for a Western reader.”
—Dwight E. Giles Jr., Professor Emeritus of Higher Education, University of Massachusetts Boston