By CIIS Staff July 31, 2018
The University is tremendously excited to announce that two donors from China, Michael Guanjun Li, and Eadie Hua Chen, have pledged $500,000 over the next five years to support the work of the China Projects Office. Michael and Eadie's generous gift will allow for the continuation, enhancement, and expansion of the China Projects that have been taking place since 2015.
The office's primary activities include:
- Two-week certificate programs in Integral Counseling, Gestalt Therapy, and Human Sexuality offered each summer at CIIS to students from China
- Scholarships for Chinese students enrolling in CIIS degree programs
- Travel to China by President Emerita Judie Wexler and Vice President of China Projects Lixin Huang to cultivate partnerships with Chinese organizations and universities
- Sponsorship of numerous academic exchanges that have allowed CIIS faculty to present lectures and workshops in China
The Li-Chen pledge will support the growth of these initiatives, as well as others emerging in response to rapidly changing needs in China, by enabling increased staffing in the China Projects Office.
The Psychology Connection
Friends Michael and Eadie discovered CIIS through their interest in psychology. Michael is a businessman and investor who, while completing his PhD in psychology, encountered translations of ICP faculty member Brant Cortright's books. Eadie was initially a financial journalist for Reuters who received her MA from the Harvard Kennedy School. When she then decided to pursue a master's degree in psychology, she considered attending CIIS before ultimately choosing Columbia University.
Eadie says that her and Michael's involvement with CIIS is born of their shared desire to be of service to the people of China. "This is a way I choose to express myself in making the world a better place. CIIS is a prime platform where Eastern and Western wisdoms converge and interact with each other. It stands a unique chance of promoting a deeper understanding between the East and the West and advancing the evolution of worldwide awareness. With the blessing of its founding tradition, edge-leading research, and passionate faculty, staff, and students, I believe CIIS will contribute even more to humanity's search for truth and wisdom."
CIIS' World Role
Michael puts it this way: "I feel very honored to have this opportunity to be engaged in CIIS' development in the new era. With half-a-century's evolution and accomplishments, CIIS has huge potential to serve our present and future world. I was also deeply impressed by the CIIS faculty and staff I have met. With my humble donation, I hope to support CIIS' efforts to expand its influence around the world, including in my homeland China, promoting and advancing the evolution of human consciousness and spirituality."
Much gratitude and many congratulations to Lixin Huang, Luna Yue Ren, President Emerita Wexler, and CIIS trustee Meihong Xu for so gracefully cultivating this pledge, which promises to elevate not only the China Projects Office, but also the University as a whole.
