Academic Research as a Way of Life
Wong Fook Kong
Professor of Old Testament
How time flies! It seems not too long ago that we launched our Th.D. program and, last year, we had our first graduate. Of course, for the doctoral students, the days must have inched along at a much slower and agonizing pace. Nevertheless, the time spent is well worth it as there is much to learn.
Learning How to Learn Critically
According to my understanding, the Chinese word bo (博) in boshi (博士; doctor) means “plentiful, extensive” and is meant to indicate the extensive knowledge acquired by a scholar in training. This is true up to an extent but it is not the whole truth. Take a look at any doctoral dissertation and it will be evident that “depth” rather than “width” is the main focus. Usually, a narrowly focussed theme or text is chosen and explored as thoroughly as possible. The main skill acquired by a doctoral student is learning how to research a topic meticulously. The same skill can then be applied to other topics in the career of the graduate. To put it differently, it is not just about learning new information but learning how to learn. In this day and age, data is plentiful and easily accessible. When I first started teaching more than twenty years ago, I had to make students remember dates and facts. Nowadays they could easily find them via their phones or computers, making rote memorization of these facts redundant. What is needed is the ability, indeed the habit, to evaluate information critically. Essentially this is what a doctoral program does–honing critical thinking until it becomes a mental habit. This takes time and effort.
Seeking the Truth Accurately
When I say time and effort, I am not referring to the student alone. The academic advisor also spends a lot of time and effort training a doctoral student. I have been through the process myself so I know it is not the fault of the student. In daily life an impression, a feeling, or the opinion of our friends is a good enough reason to make a decision. This is not necessarily wrong since we have to live with our feeling and friends after making the decision. However, in scholarship we are seeking the truth, not what feels good or pleases our friends. Furthermore, we usually do not have to be very accurate in daily life. Most people would be satisfied with cool (“wear a jacket”) or hot (“wear shorts”), and there is no need to say 12.5°C or 34°C. And when we accuse our friends of doing something we dislike “all the time,” we usually mean “a lot.” In the academic world everything has to be fact checked and as accurate as possible. This also requires adjustment. Actually, the skills learned in a doctoral program are also useful in everyday life. We would irritate our friends if we insisted on being absolutely accurate at all times, of course, but we do need to be accurate with facts and base our decisions on valid reasons. Ultimately it is not just about getting a degree but about learning a way of life.
The need for local doctoral programs is due to the increasing academic level of the believers and the complex challenges of a big, modern city like Hong Kong. For those who cannot or do not want to study overseas, our program is a good choice. It has the added advantage of being supervised by teachers who are in tune with local issues and culture. Therefore, it should be on the shortlist of anyone wishing to do theology or study the Bible in an Asian/Hong Kong context.