WELCOME SPEECH AND REPORT
By Dr. Warayuth Sriwarakuel
Dean, Graduate School of Philosophy and Religion
It is a great honor have the Brother President, the President Emeritus, our Administrators Professor, Colleagnes, distinguished guests, alumni and students here today. We gratefully appreciate your presence and encouragement at this inangural session.
We gathered here in order to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Graduate School of Philosophy and Religion. The School began offering an MA in philosophy and an MA in religious studies in June 1993 with three full-time professors and thirteen students. Prof. Kirti Bunchua was the first dean who ran the School from June 1993 to April 1999. Both MA programs were accredited by the Ministry of University Affairs in 1995. In 2001 both MA curricula were completely revised and approved by the MUA. In 1997 the Ph.D. program in philosophy was council and five students were enrolled as the first batch. The MUA accredited it in 2000. In 2001 the School offered the Ph.D. program in religious studies. At present the School offers all four programs with eight full-time professor. Up to the present there have been 3 6 graduates from the school made up of 18 with MA in philosophy, 17 MA in religious studies, and one Ph.D. in philosophy.
The students in the Graduate School of Philosophy and Religion represent different cultures, nationalities, religious beliefs, educational backgrounds, and job experiences. They are from Thailand, Burma, Vietnam, Philippines, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands, America, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Belgium, and Somalia.
hi terms of occupations, there are monks, nuns, priests, pastors, medical doctors, college/university professors, police, judges, managers, executives, stock analysts, business persons, auditors, journalists, soldiers, and so on. Although they are different, they all share the common goal, namely, of intellectual freedom and religious freedom.
The School has issued its own journal since the beginning. Initially, the journal was called ABAC Journal of Philosophy and Religions, then The Journal of Contextual Philosophy and Religions, and then finally Prajna Vihara. Prajna Vihara is published semiannually. It is a multicultural, pluralistic journal of philosophy and religious studies dedicated to the promotion of mutual understanding among the people of the world. In the spirit of the Sanskrit words Prajna Vihara "meaning" "Temple of Wisdom", the editors sought to encourage creative academic work that shares the wisdom of the trained academic mind with a readership of scholars working throughout the world. The journal welcomes specialized articles in philosophy and religious studies that promote pluralism and harmony between various philosophical and religious traditions of people in the East and the West. Up to the present, the Prajna Vihara has an exchange with 32 leading journals from different parts of the world.
The School has had a close collaboration with the Council for Research in Values and Philosophy, the Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. The School since its inception has sent its full-time professors to take post-doctoral studies or intensive courses for two months. Four full-time professors have been sent to the Catholic University of America so far. The School also has had a professor exchange program with the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines since 2002. Dr. Veerachart Nimanong, Head of Philosophy Department, had an exchange with Rev. Fr. Dr. Rolando de la Rosa, the former rector of the University of Santo Tomas, in summer 2002.
The School has held four international conferences as follows:
- "The Bases of Values in a Time of Change: Part I," in con junction with the Council for Research in Values and Philosophy, the Catholic of University of America, Washington, D.C., USA. January 14-16,1997.
- "The Bases of Values in a Time of Change: Part II," in con junction with the Council for Research in Values and Philosophy, the Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., USA. July 9-21, 1997.
- "Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Change," in conjunction with the Council for Research in Values and Philosophy, the Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., USA. JMay 1911, 2001.
- "The Metaphysical Ground for Religious Experience," at Visetsrisamut Conference Room, Bang Na Campus, in conjunction with the International Institute for Metaphysical and Mystical Studies,Rome, Italy. April 1819,2002.
The School has also held two national workshops:
- "The Role of Philosophy and Religion in the Thai Globalizing Society," in conjunction with The Circle of Philosophy and Religion of Thailand (now The Philosophy and Religion Society of Thailand) October 9-10,2001.
- A Mid-year Academic Training Program on "The Contemporary Philosophy: Metaphysics, Epistemology and Ethics," in conjunction with The Philosophy and Religion Society of Thailand. May 31-June 1,2002.
The School is now preparing for a national conference on "Seminar on The Role of Civic Religions in Emerging Thai Civil Society" on July 11-12,2003 in conjunction with Konrad-Adenauer Foundation. It is also preparing for the sixth international conference of The Asian Association of Catholic Philosophers (AACP) which will be held in August 2004.
The School has always encouraged its faculty and students to conduct researches and write academic articles. So far more than seventy papers have been published in the name of Assumption University. Out of this total number, nine published papers belong to the students.
We meet here today in order to:
- strengthen ties with our alumni.
- enhance the school's vision and mission for further development.
- promote mutual under standing and peaceful co-existence. The activities today are divided into three main sessions: morning, after noon and evening. We hope you have a good time and enjoy all the sessions.
Thank you very much
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