Nanhua University President Join Sunday Dharma Function at the Temple and Liaise with AUT Lecturers

On 15th June, over 100 devotees joined the day’s Dharma function where Venerable Abbess Manshin presided over the recitation of “Amitabha Sutra.

This function was joined by Fo Guang Shan Nanhua University’s President Mr Tsong-Ming Lin, who happened to be passing through as a part of his official duties. After completion, President Lin shared with the congregation his experience at an International Engineering Knowledge Sharing Conference in Wellington, where the University’s prestige has now been officially recognised by Sydney among 10 other country’s tertiary institute. Then a promotional film for Nanhua University was played for the audience. The video emphasised the inclusion of “Right Thought Silent Meditation” as a part of the curriculum to improve student characters and promotion of the “Sustainability through vegetarianism” to introduce new values. The University also provided many international exchange programs to enrich the student’s learning and professional development experiences. Mr Lin expressed that ever since he became the University President, he wished to incorporate Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s ideals of 3 Good Deeds into the education system. He also welcomes New Zealanders to enrol at the University if opportunity arises.

In the afternoon, President Lin enjoyed an academic conversation with faculty from AUT University; Associate Professor Andy Begg (School of Education), Chris Whittington (School of Engineering), Melissa Evans (Occupational Therapy) and Linda Daniell (School of Education). The faculty are also members of a Mindfulness Special Interest Group who meet weekly to meditate and discuss mindfulness from both academic and spiritual perspectives. Mr Lin was very interested in this activity. He would like to develop closer connections and maybe consider some research of mutual interest.

The conversation flowed easily as Mr Lin shared ways in which meditation is integrated into student learning and is to become a compulsory, credit bearing subject in the Engineering programme. The faculty from AUT will be keen to hear about the benefits to the students with the possibility of exploring opportunities to introduce meditation in their own disciplines.