Those who dream of becoming the next Horace Underwood will be gathering together in one place in February of next year. PAUA (Pan Asia Africa & America Universities Association), an association of universities in Asia, Africa, and South America, will be hosting a conference in Southern California to mobilize people to participate in mission work through education by working as professors in one of PAUA’s universities.
Recently, PAUA’s leaders visited Los Angeles and introduced the details of the 10th PAUA conference to take place from February 1-4, 2018, with Fuller Theological Seminary as a co-host.
Currently, 17 universities are a part of PAUA, and most are schools established by Koreans. These schools are not only formally accredited schools within their respective countries, but some are also ranked among the most prestigious schools in those countries. The universities include National Polytechnic Institute of Cambodia (established in 2005; 2,860 students enrolled), Huree University of Information and Communication (established in 2002; 1,719 students enrolled), Ulaanbaatar University (established in 1995; 3,521 students enrolled), and KUMI University in Uganda (established in 1999; 1,050 students enrolled), among others. These universities are staffed with administrative staff and professors who are not only quality professionals in their fields, but also raise their own funds to work in these universities.
Organizers of the upcoming PAUA conference gathered at a hotel in Los Angeles on January 12 and held a press conference.
PAUA has been networking with these universities and cultivating unity and communication among them. It has also helped the institutions share educational resources amongst one another. The association also provides research and training programs to continue cultivating high academic standards while maintaining the universities’ identity as Christian institutions. The presidents and professors of the universities also gather together once each year to discuss the direction, future, and strategy of mission work through education.
Though most of the conferences in the past have taken place in one of the universities in the association, this year, the conference will take place in the U.S. One of the reasons behind the decision is to mobilize more people. Most of the universities in the various countries are in need of professors who are able to speak English, and Korean Americans are already prepared in that area.
Those who wish to apply as professors of specific majors must have a master’s or doctoral degree in that major, but those who want to teach English or Korean are eligible to apply with only a bachelor’s degree. Other positions such as those in administration, counseling, IT, libraries, and in lower education such as elementary, middle, and high schools, are also available.
This article was translated by Rachael Lee. For the original in Korean, visit kr.christianitydaily.com.
