Ming-Ai (London) Institute

Ming-Ai (London) Institute
明爱(伦敦)学院

愛是服務 (Traditional)

爱是服务 (Simplified)

Ài Shì Fúwù (Pinyin)
To Love is to Serve
Address
1 Cline Road
London, N11 2LX
Information
Established 1992
Founder Therese Wai Han Shak, PhD
(1932 - 2010)
Dean Chungwen Li
Director Kamsang Law
Website www.ming-ai.org.uk

The Ming-Ai (London) Institute (simplified: 明爱(伦敦)学院; traditional: 明愛(倫敦)學院; pinyin: Míng'ài (Lúndūn) Xuéyuàn) is the executive arm of the Ming-Ai Association,[1] established in 1993 to promote Chinese culture locally and deliver cultural exchanges between the UK and Greater China.[2]

Operating from Denver House near Bounds Green tube station, the Ming-Ai (London) Institute offers a number of short courses and delivers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Memorandum with Middlesex University.

The Ming-Ai (London) Institute hosts and exhibits information about British Chinese cultural Heritage through the British Chinese Heritage Centre[3] (simplified: 英国华人文化传承中心; traditional: 英國華人文化傳承中心; pinyin: Yīngguó Huárén Wénhuà Chuánchéng Zhōngxīn), a cyber centre dedicated to on-going and past heritage projects conducted by the Ming-Ai (London) Institute.

Ming-Ai (London) Institute
Traditional Chinese 明愛(倫敦)學院
Simplified Chinese 明爱(伦敦)学院

The institute has also delivered a variety of professional and vocational courses which include the following: languages, including Japanese, Cantonese and, Mandarin; hospitality; including Food Hygene (CIEH), BIIAB National Certificate Personal Licence Holder (NCPLH), Cookery in Chinese and Oriental Style and Dimsum Taster Days; leasure, Tai Chi (simplified: 太极, pinyin: Tàijí), Piano, Chinese Painting, Chinese Calligraphy; and others including the Life in the UK - British Citizenship Test.

Therese Wai Han Shak

Theresa Wai Han Shak (Chinese name: 石慧嫻) is the founder of the Ming-Ai (London) Institute. Theresa’s origins in Mainland China, inherited wealth, connections to the Catholic Church and passion for contemporary education allowed Shak to become highly influential in educational reform and UK-China relations. Understanding her journey and mission provides insights to the institutes origins and purpose.

Projects

To fulfill the mission of the Ming-Ai (London) Institute numerous projects have been delivered towards cultural exchange between the UK and China and promote Chinese culture locally. Typically projects include a number of oral histories which form the basis for a series of research publications, community events, training events and workshops. The training of volunteers and staff is an important measure of success for each project. The institute is currently a placement partner of Goldsmiths, University of London.[4]

British Chinese Armed Forces Heritage

Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, British Chinese Armed Forces (simplified: 华籍英军史; traditional: 華籍英軍史; pinyin: Huájíyīng Jūnshǐ) is an ongoing project launched in June 2015. The project is a four-year undertaking in collaboration with Regent's University London for the creation of a cultural-historical archive documenting the contributions made by people of Chinese descent to the British Armed Forces. In partnership with the National Army Museum,[5] the institute will collect the stories about historical items. The project has been mentioned in the The Huffington Post.[6]

Interviews

Elizabeth Mary Ride

Elizabeth Ride provided the Ming-Ai (London) Institute with her account of her father, Sir Lindsay Ride's career in British Hong Kong with the British Army. The recording which has been archived at the British Chinese Heritage Centre also speaks of how Ride came to form the British Army Aid Group.

Brigadier Norman Allen

A Brigadier previously stationed in Hong Kong.

Brigadier Christopher Hammerbeck

Brigadier Christopher Hammerbeck a former Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of British Forces Overseas Hong Kong.

Commodore Peter Melson

The final Commodore on the HMS Tamar in Hong Kong.

British Chinese Workforce Heritage

Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, British Chinese Work Force Heritage (英國華人職業傳承史) was a three-year project launched in 2012 with provision to explore the contributions made by British Chinese to the London workforce over the past 150 years during which Ming-Ai (London) Institute trained 12 interns, published 89 oral histories and five articles in partnership with the City of London, Haringey Council, London Metropolitan Archives, Islington Heritage, National Army Museum, Regent's University London, Horniman Museum & Gardens, St Micheal's Catholic College, University College London, Middlesex University London, K&L Gates and City of Westminster Libraries. The British Chinese Workforce Heritage project was written about in the South China Morning Post.[7]

British Chinese Food Culture

Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the British Chinese Food Culture [8] (英國中餐文化) project was launched in 2011 in order to identify the changes in British Chinese Cuisine from the original recipes derived from Greater China. A key focus is how the availability of ingredients caused Chinese restaurants to adapt their dishes and explores how the reintroduction of original ingredients allows restaurants to deliver greater authenticity.

Healthy Chinese Cuisine Ambassadors

From 2016 the new GCSE in Food Preparation & Nutrition will be taught in British schools. In preparation the Ming-Ai (London) Institute in partnership with Chinese manufacturer Lee Kum Kee founded a project to promote Chinese cuisine in British schools. The project will last for five years with the objective of reaching 280 schools and conduct 40 or more teacher training workshops.

East West Festive Culture

Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, East West Festive Culture[9] (東西文化節慶) was a two-year project which started in October 2008. The project aimed to explore analogous festivals in Western and Chinese cultures. Tracing 150 years' of British Chinese festive celebration in London the project cast light on a three demographics. Firstly Chinese people who emigrated to the UK in their early life, secondly couples with a non-Chinese partner and finally British born Chinese. Each of these groups was selected to shed light to both the contrast and similarities between Eastern and Western culture.

The Evolution and History of British Chinese Workforce

In October 2009 the Ming-Ai (London) Institution used funding from UK Government Transformation Fund[10] to undertake The Evolution and History of British Chinese Workforce[11] (英國華人職業演變史) project. This was the second oral histories project undertaken by the Ming-Ai (London) Institute.

Making Chinese Votes Count

Funded by the Electoral Commission[12] the Making Chinese Votes Count project was managed by a consortium consisting of both the Ming-Ai (London) Institute and the London Chinese Community Network (LCCN). The 12-month project started in January 2006 with provision to improve the representation of Chinese people in the UK Government. Within the project a series of community workshops were delivered covering topics such as electoral law, political participation, how to become involved in politics. Around 180 people of which 56% of whom were of Chinese descent attended a series of four workshops through the course of the project.

Associate College of Middlesex University

In 1995 the institution joined resources with Middlesex University to develop a number of China-related courses. The Ming-Ai (London) Institute delivers postgraduate courses in Chinese Cultural Heritage Management leading to either MA, PG Dip and PG Cert qualification which are awarded by Middlesex University.

The Ming-Ai (London) Institute also facilitated negotiations between Middlesex University and Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacology leading to the establishment in 1997 of their joint five-year Degree programme, B.Sc. (Hons) in Traditional Chinese Medicine for which the Ming-Ai (London) Institute provides Mandarin training for the programme.

Domestic activities

The institute has established relationships with many UK institutions and community groups with whom the Ming-Ai (London) Institute has collaborated in joint ventures toward the aim of forging closer ties Greater China, British Chinese communities and the rest of Great Britain.

Network of UK Higher Education Institutions

Links with UK Institutions of higher education have allowed the institute to recruit on China's behalf, UK graduates to teach overseas. Furthermore, the institute has helped UK institutions to recruit students from across Greater China by giving lecturers an opportunity to teach in Chinese institutions. In 2008 the institution had contacts across 13 Chinese provinces.[13]

UK Institutions in the Ming-Ai (London) Institute's Education Network

1992–2002[2]
2002–2012

International Activities

The institute organizes Education Missions across Greater China in order to link UK academics to their counterparts in China. Each mission may pertain to conferences, seminars and workshops with the intention of strengthening UK-China relations in the sphere of education. Hosts have included prestigious Chinese institutions of higher education including Peking University, Jilin University, Wuhan University and Sichuan University.

Institutions in Greater China visited by the Ming-Ai (London) Institute

1992–2002[2]

References

  1. ↑ Thom, D.J. (2002). Knowledge and Christian leadership for one world education system. Number Three in “The Thom Critical Books Ming-Ai (London) Institute Series.” London, England: The Ming-Ai (London) Institute.
  2. 1 2 3 Ming-Ai Association, Ming-Ai (London) Institute. (2003). A decade of goodwill 1992–2002. London, England: Ming-Ai (London) Institute.
  3. ↑ "British Chinese Heritage Centre". www.britishchineseheritagecentre.org.uk. Retrieved 2015-11-30.
  4. ↑ "Information about current placement partners". Goldsmiths, University of London. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  5. ↑ "'British Lion, Chinese Dragon' - National Army Museum Collaborates with Anglo-Chinese Community to Tell Forgotten Story". www.nam.ac.uk. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  6. ↑ "In UK, Chinese Whispers Need to Become Shouts". The Huffington Post UK. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  7. ↑ "The Chinese in Britain: personal tales of a journey to a new land". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  8. ↑ "British Chinese Food Culture | Ming-Ai". www.britishchinesefoodculture.org.uk. Retrieved 2015-11-30.
  9. ↑ "East West Festival Cultures - Ming Ai". www.eastwest.ming-ai.org.uk. Retrieved 2015-11-30.
  10. ↑ "About the Transformation Fund | Transformation Fund Legacy". www.transformationfund.org.uk. Retrieved 2015-11-30.
  11. ↑ "The Evolution and History of British Chinese Work Force - The Evolution and History of British Chinese Work Force". www.chineseworkforce.ming-ai.org.uk. Retrieved 2015-11-30.
  12. ↑ "Electoral Commission | Home". www.electoralcommission.org.uk. Retrieved 2015-11-30.
  13. ↑ Shak, T. (in press). Lifelong education: Consensus in characteristics and practices. Singapore: East Asian.
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