Fo Guang University’s 8th President, Chao Han-Chieh, wasted no time after assuming office on November 1. Shortly after his inauguration, he embarked on an intensive recruitment tour across Southeast Asia, visiting high schools and universities in multiple countries. Personally engaging with students from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds, President Chao introduced Fo Guang Shan’s educational philosophy and showcased Fo Guang University’s exceptional learning environment. His goal: to attract students worldwide and foster a truly internationalized campus at Fo Guang University.
President Chao remarked, “We have established state-of-the-art AI-equipped classrooms. International students need not worry about language barriers as real-time translation features are in place. However, we still encourage all students to take advantage of their time at Fo Guang University to learn Mandarin, preparing themselves with a valuable second language alongside English.”
Highlighting the university’s unique programs, President Chao underscored the significance of the College of Buddhist Studies. He expressed his intent to integrate the college into the Fulbright Program for international exchanges, train vegetarian culinary talents for Fo Guang Shan’s Dew Drop Teahouses, and establish research teams dedicated to ancient Gandhara civilization studies. Additionally, he emphasized strengthening connections within the Fo Guang Shan university system, which includes Nanhua University, Hsi Lai University, Nan Tien Institute, and University of the West. President Chao also prioritized forming partnerships with Fo Guang Shan temples worldwide, creating educational alliances that enable students to step out of their comfort zones and develop a global perspective. This initiative reflects the vision of Venerable Master Hsing Yun: “Dare, and you will have strength.”
During the recruitment tour, President Chao and the university’s International Office team visited prominent Fo Guang Shan temples and leaders, including Venerable Miao Mu in Singapore, Venerable Ru Bin at the Singapore-Malaysia Temple, Venerable Jue Cheng overseeing the Singapore-Malaysia-Thailand-India region, and Venerable Zong Ru at Medan’s Fo Guang Temple. The delegation received a warm and grand welcome at every stop. President Chao expressed heartfelt gratitude to these leaders for their unwavering support, believing that with the help of Fo Guang Shan’s global network, the university will achieve a bright future.
From November 24 to 29, the delegation visited renowned institutions such as Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, Southern University College in Malaysia, and the University of Malaya. They held discussions with senior professors and scholars on launching transnational research projects. President Chao’s team also visited Medan Bodhi School, Jakarta Sultan Iskandar Muda Foundation School, and Taiping High School, marking the first wave of student recruitment efforts since his inauguration.
President Chao concluded, “I hope that in the coming years, we will see fruitful outcomes from these endeavors. This aligns with Fo Guang Shan’s mission of spreading the universal compassion of Humanistic Buddhism through education.”
