Cultivate cross-national talents in arts

 

“The major religion in the Philippines is Catholicism. Could a college which founded by Buddhism be acceptable?” Guang Ming College did it!

 

Humanistic Buddhism has entered the Philippines for more than 20 years. Venerable Master Hsing Yun deeply felt the talents of Filipino in music, dance, drama and other arts during the period. Therefore, when the vice minister of education, Yolanda Quijano, expressed the vision of establishing a university in Manila, Venerable Master Hsing Yun readily agreed. Guang Ming College (GMC) was founded in 2014. It integrates Buddhism and art and provides a formal learning environment for young people in the Philippines.

GMC is the first university founded by Buddhism in the Philippines. It provides not only free tuition, food, lodging but also scholarship. GMC comprises three departments currently: Dance, Theatre and Buddhist Studies. Aside from academic subjects, activities such as cooking, arts & crafts and extra-curricular organizations are offered to give students opportunities to further educate themselves and give back to society.

The first president of GMC, Dr. Helen Correa, is a Filipino who has PhD in educational administration and was a chairperson in a university in Bacolod. She has over sixteen years of experiences in academia and indicates that ideas of Buddhism and Catholicism are the same. They both promote “Do Good Deeds”, “Speak Good Words”, and “Think Good Thoughts”. Furthermore, spirits of Buddhism construct good life education in health, social skills and expertise.