Promoting creative and critical thinking in China.

Welcome to the Institute of Creative and Critical Thinking (ICCT). The Beijing Normal University (Zhuhai) School of Foreign Languages (SFL) opened ICCT in 2019. The Institute focuses on creative and critical thinking in the Chinese classroom and culture.

Rational

There are local, national and international circumstances that inspire the founding of ICCT.

1. SFL specializes in second language acquisition which, as the research has established, is also the learning of a second way of thinking. For western languages, particularly English, this substantially includes critical thinking.

2. BNUZ joint degree programs require critical thinking for completion of foreign degrees. This makes the subject a required credit across several majors.

3. ICCT is perfectly consistent with this emerging emphasis on research.

4. With the evolving education, economic and social policies of China in mind, teachers (and their future students) will benefit from training in creative and critical thinking.

5. BNUZ is in proximity to the SARs of Hong Kong and Macau and the open economies of cities like Shenzhen and Guangzhou. This facilitates cooperation between ICCT and a pool of western-style education and corporate organizations that seek creative and critical thinking.

6. China does not yet have a version of critical thinking to call its own – one appropriately adapted to the Chinese circumstance, where western critical thinking and native Chinese thinking are harmonized.

7. China aims to internationalize its education and employment practices, which positions critical and creative thinking at the forefront of social and economic development.

8. China aspires to transition from “made in China” to “designed in China,” which requires the promotion of creative and critical thinking skills.

Mission

With these unique circumstances in mind, the mission of ICCT is to:

     1. Develop and deliver undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate curricula and programs of creative/critical thinking that lead to institutional certifications.

2. Develop curricula for all schools and majors that infuse creative/critical thinking.

3. Develop and deliver programs of teacher training in creative/critical thinking instruction.

4. Develop and deliver programs of corporate training in creative/critical thinking.

5. Develop and deliver critical thinking assessment tools for the Chinese circumstance.

6. Conduct research on creative/critical thinking in the Chinese circumstance, from the classroom to the boardroom.

7. Publish research findings, education and training materials in creative/critical thinking.

8. Host local, national and international conferences in creative/critical thinking.

9. Initiate and strengthen affiliations with local, national and international organizations.

Vision

The ICCT vision is to contribute to human potential and progress in China, through innovative research, materials, and training that is centered around creative and critical thinking.

Contact

We invite anyone interested in contributing to these goals to contact us at 0756-6126560.