Thomas Schneider has been successful in establishing a new consortium of liberal arts institutions across the Pacific Basin, the Pacific Alliance of Liberal Arts Colleges (PALAC), in conversations with many senior administrators and more recently, Vice President Bryan Penprase from Soka University of America as a co-initiator. The new alliance groups together as founding members 10 top liberal arts institutions in six countries on both sides of the Pacific Basin – Australia, Canada, China, Japan, the United States and Vietnam – in a collaboration that will help promote a liberal arts education in Pacific Rim countries, catalyze faculty research, provide innovative opportunities for students, and tackle environmental and cultural challenges (as flagged by the UN’s Social Development Goals) that face the larger Pacific region. The initial host institution for the alliance will be Soka University of America, south of Los Angeles. The endorsement by the college presidents includes a mandate for Thomas to serve as the Alliance’s Executive Director (with his co-initiator serving as Academic Director), for the time being in addition to his UBC professorship.
For more information visit PALAC website at https://pacificalliance.org/
