The Asian Studies program welcomes Dr. Shu-Chin Wu for the 2026 Grace Chao Lecture Series. Dr. Wu will deliver a talk entitled, "From Intellectual Inquiry to Contemplative Practice" and all are welcome to attend! In this interactive workshop, Dr. Shu-chin Wu explores the idea that educating the heart lies at the very heart of education itself—a foundational value of liberal arts learning. As Aristotle is often quoted as saying, “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” Dr. Wu argues that education is more than the transmission of knowledge or the sharpening of intellectual analysis. Without contemplative self-knowledge, education risks being reduced to professional training rather than a process that nurtures the whole person.

Through reflective exercises and dialogue, Dr. Wu invites participants to contemplate connections across cultures in today’s complex and interconnected world. In doing
so, participants are encouraged to foster meaningful cross-cultural understanding, broaden their perspectives, and enrich the depth and purpose of their lives, cultivating a more grounded and fulfilling way of being.

Shu-chin Wu, Ph.D., is the founding director of Asian Studies and Associate Professor Emerita of History at Agnes Scott College, where she taught a wide range of courses on Asian history, including Chinese and Japanese history, the Vietnam Wars, and films on Asia. She is co-author of Awakening Dignity: A Guide to Living a Life of Deep Fulfillment with Phakchok Rinpoche. Deeply committed to contemplative education, Dr. Wu has taught courses such as Zen and Creativity and Contemplative Japan. Since retiring, she has devoted herself to teaching meditation courses and leading contemplative workshops that integrate intellectual inquiry with inner cultivation.