Prior to the 21st century, liberal arts education was virtually unknown in China. Even during my September China trip, I found that the average Chinese high school student and parent were unfamiliar. However, I found that education consultants were much more familiar with liberal arts education and are often advising families to consider it as a good option.I recently learned about an important new book written by 3 recent Chinese graduates of American liberal arts colleges. One of them was recently profiled in Newsweek Magazine in 2010. This book is written in Chinese and pictured on the right.
To learn more about one of the book's authors I'm including an excerpt from Newsweek Magazine's February 10th 2010 edition:
"Like many top students in Chinese high schools, Chen Yongfang dreamed of attending college in the United States. But unlike many of his classmates at Shanghai's Foreign Languages High School, Chen did not set his sights on Harvard, Yale, or any of the other Ivy League schools or big research universities long coveted by the Chinese. Instead he applied to a small, private liberal arts college. Even before he graduated in 2010, Chen had co-authored a Chinese-language book on Liberal Arts Education."The book, A True Liberal Arts Education, was first published in May 2009. It sold out its first printing of more than 8,000 copies, which were distributed throughout mainland China, Hong Kong, Maucau and Taiwan. Since then it has already sold out its second printing. It's listed on the Chinese version of Amazon as being out of print. I am hoping I'll be able to get a copy in the 3rd printing.