Soulware: The American Way In China’S Higher Education

This book is a critical account of the history, evolution and challenges of higher education in mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, with important reflections on other systems, notably those in the US, UK, Korea and Japan. In addition to hardware and software, it introduces the concept of “software” in global higher education and analyses its importance for internationalization and the pursuit of excellence. In an age where robots and artificial intelligence are impacting our jobs and our daily lives, its critical analysis and insightful reflections provide considerable value for a range of global stakeholders interested in higher education reform to nurture talent and promote innovation to prepare students for an unpredictable future.

“Professor Kuo’s perspective provides considerable value for a range of global stakeholders both in the east and the west. As American universities awake to the realization that the demand for higher education is an increasingly global phenomena, his contribution could not be more timely."
Mike Crow, PhD President, Arizona State University

“Way Kuo advances a powerful historical argument for the means to achieve excellence in Asian universities. His recipe is bold leadership, combining excellence in teaching and research, and embracing the lessons of western university successes and failures. A superb combination of history and forward thinking."
Michael Kotlikoff, VMD, PhD Provost, Cornell University

"Way’s book is not just about the past or the present. Rather, it offers useful insights into the future. In an age where robots and artificial intelligence are impacting our jobs and our daily lives, he introduces the concept of “soulware” and analyzes its importance for higher education."
G. P. “Bud” Peterson, PhD President, Georgia Institute of Technology

"Wisdom is the ultimate goal of higher education. It is the illumination of that wisdom among audiences, English-speaking or Chinese-speaking, to which Way Kuo’s book hopes to kindle a spark."
Frank H. Shu, PhD President, 2002-06, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan University Professor, University of California System

Way Kuo is President of City University of Hong Kong (CityU)
He is a Member of US National Academy of Engineering and Academia Sinica of Taiwan, ROC; and a Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the Russian Academy of Engineering.
He received his PhD in engineering in 1980 from Kansas State University, and in 2011 he was granted Dr. Phil. Honoris Causa by the People's Republic of China through Beijing Institute of Technology.
Professor Kuo specialises in design for reliability of electronics systems. His footprints can be found in many electronics products. Among other well recognized technical books, his popular science book Critical Reflections on Nuclear and Renewable Energy was published to acclaim in 2014 by Wiley-Scrivener.