The International Conference on Globalization, Education and Language concluded its two-day discussions on Nov. 16. Under the joint auspices of Colleges of Foreign Languages and Literature and Education, Tamkang University (TKU), the conference was opened at Chue Sheng International Conference Hall, Tamsui Campus on Nov. 15, 2002.

The Department of English took charge of holding the conference and English commanded all the discussions.

Prof. Huang Bing-huan, Dean of the College of Education, read a written message from Former Education Minister and currently Deputy President of Academia Sinica Ovid Tseng at the opening ceremony.

TKU Founder Dr. Clement C. P. Chang said in his address to the opening ceremony that the globalization is one of the triple objectives being pursued by TKU. Globalization, Education and Language have close relations among one another.

Chang went on saying that at present, English has become a world-wide language and some linguistic experts forecast that the number of languages would reduce to 10 percent of the total number of languages now existing in the world by 2100. To implement bilingual teaching or multi-lingual teaching is one of the educational responsibilities in this century. The globalization language, national or racial tongues were worthily to keep, Chang said.

TKU President Chang Horng-jinh briefed the participants on the prospect of triple objectives being implemented by TKU and efforts have made to promote the globalization.

During the discussion on the theme of language, education and politics of Taiwan, Prof. Liao Hsien-hao, Chair, Foreign Language Department, NTU, said that Hu Shih and Ying Hai-kuang believed that the eight-leg essay, wrapping little foot and Virgin Plate represented Chinese culture while the science and technology represented the Western culture. The “de-ancient or de-China theory” of former Republic of China President Lee Teng-hui and the “de-Asia theory of Yukichi Fukuzawa, Japan were the same meaning. Prof. Liao Ping-hui of National Tsinghua University said that Bill Gates did not worry about the rapid development of globalization but the academic circle should worry about its impact. “We should employ the advantages brought by the globalization to positively help students upgrade their competitive power,” Liao said.

Prof. Lin Yao-fu, Dean of College of Foreign Languages and Literature, TKU, said that Taiwanese have gradually forgotten their traditional feasts to celebrate Valentine Day and Halloween when talking about the overall Westernization and the viewpoint of “Chinese knowledge served as base while Western knowledge served as using” by Chinese scholar—Chang Tse-tung.

Prof. Huang Bing-huan, Dean of College of Education, TKU, believed that a successful seminar does not depend on how many conclusions being reached but depends on how many topics have been taken up to spark how much impact in mind and mental. He went on saying, “ This was a successful seminar”. All the issues we discussed during the two-day meeting were deeply concerned by us. Time has proved that many problems cannot be resolved immediately, Huang added.