The United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia

06/06/2026

05/06/2026

Women’s Leadership in Asia (WoLA) 2026 has officially wrapped up, and we are grateful for an inspiring eight-day journey of learning and connection.

This year’s WoLA, co-organized by the United Board and Ewha Womans University, focused on the theme “Breaking Barriers, Building Futures,” equipping 40 women leaders from 28 institutions in 13 countries and regions to advance gender equity and institutional change in Asian higher education. Across eight online sessions in May, participants engaged with topics such as feminist leadership, transformative pedagogy, strengths-based leadership, mental health and resilience, gender-based violence, and gender and AI, guided by experts and practitioners from across the region.

In her keynote, “Owning Your Leadership,” United Board President Pareena Gupta Lawrence invited participants to see leadership as a lifelong journey of influence grounded in vocation, integrity, and service—less about position and title, and more about voice, calling, and legacy.

Warm congratulations to all WoLA 2026 participants for their commitment to leading change in their institutions and communities. Our heartfelt thanks to Ewha Womans University, the Ewha Institute for Leadership Development, resource persons, and partner institutions whose collaboration made this year’s program possible.

LeadershipDevelopment

02/06/2026

Our colleagues Hope Antone, Program Director of Faculty Development, and Cynthia Yuen, Senior Program Officer, recently completed a rich learning journey in Taiwan.

From May 25–26, they joined the “Symposium on Faculty Development for Future-Ready Teaching and Learning,” co-hosted by National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University and Education Innovations International. With the theme “Human-Centered and Open Education: Teaching and Learning in a Digital World,” the symposium highlighted how Taiwan’s educators are thoughtfully integrating AI into their teaching—always putting education first and technology second. Hope and Cynthia came away inspired and identified several potential speakers for future United Board programs and webinars.

On May 27, they visited two of our partner institutions: Fu Jen Catholic University and Chang Jung Christian University. At Fu Jen, they met with Fr. Lucas Wang, Vice President for Mission; Fr. Inna Reddy, Dean/Director of the Holistic Education Center; and Dr. Din-Yuang Huang, coordinator of a United Board grant on environmental sustainability, and heard how holistic education and environmental initiatives are being fostered on campus. At Chang Jung Christian University, they met President Huey-Min Sun along with faculty and staff, including United Board Fellows and alumni of our other programs, and received updates on their United Board-sponsored project before an engaging dinner conversation with United Board Trustee Huang Po Ho.

We are grateful for our Taiwan partners’ hospitality and for the new insights gained on human-centered, future-ready teaching and learning that will help shape our ongoing support for higher education in Asia.

22/05/2026

The final days of our Kerala workshops brought the work from vision into reality—and from professional development into something deeply personal.

On May 20, conversations became noticeably more candid and reflective. Participants spoke openly about leadership fatigue, institutional pressures, and the challenges of building healthy academic communities in demanding environments. Sessions on sustaining institutions, building effective teams, and integrating AI into teaching generated strong engagement—not just intellectually, but personally, as they connected the discussions directly to their own struggles and contexts.

By May 21, something had shifted. Many participants—especially those who had arrived uncertain about their role as leaders—expressed renewed confidence and clarity about their capacity to shape institutional culture and lead meaningful change. Sessions on redesigning classrooms for Whole Person Education, leadership in the long haul, and emerging realities in Indian higher education grounded the week's themes in actionable, institution-specific strategies.

What resonated most powerfully in the closing reflections? Participants valued not only the quality and professionalism of the sessions, but the rare gift of time and space—to step away from daily pressures, to think deeply alongside peers from other institutions, to reconnect with the deeper purpose that drew them to education in the first place.

This collaboration with CMS College in Kottayam marks the beginning of something significant—not just a workshop, but a growing community of educators and leaders committed to transformative, mission-aligned education across this region.

20/05/2026

At The Zuri Resort in Kumarakom, over 50 academic leaders and faculty from 18 institutions across Kerala and Tamil Nadu are gathering this week for the United Board's Leadership Development Program ("Purpose-Driven Leadership: Surmounting Barriers") and Faculty Development Program ("Teaching with a Difference: Negotiating Whole Person Education") offered in parallel.

This collaboration with CMS College Kottayam—known for its missionary heritage and longstanding commitment to education—marks the United Board's largest engagement in this region. For many participants and their institutions, it's the first opportunity to discover the United Board's mission and work in Christian higher education across Asia.

The sessions on May 19 moved beyond orientation into meaningful exploration. Faculty participants engaged with the philosophy and practice of Whole Person Education and explored the psychology of learning through highly interactive discussions. Meanwhile, institutional leaders delved into strategic frameworks for navigating disruptive times and building mission-aligned institutional vision.

What stood out most? The openness, curiosity, and active engagement from everyone in the room—with conversations extending well beyond the formal sessions. Participants are already discovering practical insights while reconnecting with the deeper purpose that drives their work in Christian higher education.

Two more days of learning, collaboration, and renewal ahead!

18/05/2026

Warmest congratulations to the three Assumption University graduates (𝐘𝐚𝐤𝐨𝐛 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐛𝐨𝐤𝐢, 𝐌𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐨 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐚, 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐄𝐤𝐨 𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐲𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐢) supported by the United Board Faculty Scholarship Program! We celebrate your hard work, perseverance, and the new possibilities your advanced degrees will bring to your universities and communities across Asia.

We also cheer on the two scholars, 𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐮 𝐃𝐣𝐨𝐫𝐮 and 𝐈𝐥𝐬𝐚 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐢 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐢, who are still pursuing their higher studies at Assumption University. May this season of learning deepen your expertise, expand your networks, and strengthen your leadership for years to come.

Thirty-five scholars are currently studying at Assumption and other universities under the said program.

Our heartfelt thanks to Assumption University for partnering with us in cultivating the academic credentials and leadership of emerging young scholars in Asia, and for walking alongside them on this important journey.

14/05/2026

A meaningful new collaboration connecting two corners of India.

Stella Maris College and Holy Cross College have completed signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in early April to work together in the areas of research, faculty exchange, student programs, and academic development.

The MoU was signed by Dr. Fr. Benny K. John CSC, Principal of Holy Cross College, Agartala, and Dr. Sr. Stella Mary K, fmm, Principal of Stella Maris College (Autonomous), Chennai.

What makes this partnership special is its larger vision — creating stronger academic support systems and opportunities for institutions in Northeast India through collaboration and shared expertise.

Education becomes more meaningful when institutions grow together. We look forward to the journey ahead.

12/05/2026

AACM 2026 has drawn to a close in Chiang Mai. On May 9, participants shared their action plans, received certificates, and joined in a closing ceremony and farewell dinner.

We give thanks for the friendships formed, the hard questions asked, and the new ideas that will travel back to campuses across Asia. Please continue to pray for all who are returning home and for the students they serve.

If you were here, share one moment from this week that you will carry with you.

11/05/2026

On May 8, we stepped into drama therapy with Ms. Dorothy Wong. Through movement, improvisation, and creative exercises, we explored emotions and stories that often stay unspoken.

For many of us, this opened new imagination for how creative practices might support students’ mental health and spiritual journeys back on our campuses.

Have you ever tried using drama, art, or music in your ministry or teaching? What happened?

08/05/2026

Our focus yesterday was spiritual development and the languages of spiritual hunger. Dr. David Johns, together with Dr. James Emerson and Dr. Chul Chun, helped us think about the many ways students express longing, doubt, and hope.

We asked: Are we listening beneath the surface of their words – to their questions about meaning, identity, and belonging?

How do students on your campus show you that they are searching, even if they don’t use religious language?