Colloquium 2019 – motivating, supportive and friendly; table conversations were a good innovation; overall atmosphere was great; level of interaction was really encouraging; Kang San Tan was a really entertaining and incisive after dinner speaker… and so it goes on! You could fill a blog post with student and supervisor feedback on the colloquium but here’s the story in a nutshell.
With 30 researchers, more than a dozen supervisors plus academic visitors, mission personnel, other visitors and staff present, Baptist House was a hothouse of discussion, debate and activity for six days from Monday 21 to Saturday 26 January. Using an experimental programme format it was possible to facilitate the larger than usual number of presentations and maximise the opportunity for discussion and supervision. Special guests included Dr Bert Jan Lietaert Peerbolte (Director of Research at the Faculty of Religion and Theology at the Vrije Universiteit), Dr Ken Roxburgh from Samford University, Professor Wim Janse from the faculty and Dr Kang San Tan (General Director of BMS World Mission), all of whom made a significant contribution to the colloquium.
The previous week was the induction week for students on the new Post Graduate Research in Theology programme. Six students from Russia, Nagaland, Canada, Northern Ireland, USA and Norway made up the new cohort – one via Skype. Over the week they were led through the new programme by Mike Pears, Tim Noble and Tovio Pilli. They also benefited with input from Professor Henk Bakker (holder of the McClendon Chair at the Vrije Universiteit) and Parush Parushev. It was a good start to a new programme, a programme that will continue to be delivered online through the rest of the year .
Eight students received their Post Graduate Certificates, having successfully completed the Manchester programme (now discontinued) and one, Gabriel Stephen from Norway, received his MA. All are progressing through to the Graduate School of the Faculty of Religion and Theology and pursuing their research projects.
Colloquium will, for the first time, be extended throughout the year with online seminars so we look forward to renewing fellowship and opportunities for learning together through the wonders of video communication.
