PIMA BULLETIN NO 47 APRIL 2023
Gardener's Corner ~ 3
From Brian Findsen
New Zealand/Aotearoa
brianfindsen@gmail.com
Chris Duke
The year was 1994. This was my first study leave from the University of Auckland as a senior lecturer. Where to go? I had loosely followed Chris Duke’s career with admiration from across the Tasman. I appreciated his leadership for continuing education in Australasia.
Chris was now Director of the Department of Continuing Education at the University of Warwick. I enjoyed around three months as a guest in that Department during 1994. Chris generously took me to my first SCUTREA conference in Hull and generally boosted my confidence to engage in serious scholarship and research. I thoroughly valued my first of several study leaves in the Northern Hemisphere. I continue to admire Chris’s commitment to enhancing the work of people in our field.
Brian Findsen
Emeritus Professor of Adult Education
University of Waikato
From Thomas Kuan
Singapore
kuanthomas@gmail.com
Chris is a wordsmith who understands the nuances of Asian ALE (Adults Learning and Education) writers’ minds. My latest article for PIMA Bulletin #45 was written with Chinese metaphysical content which I thought was difficult for Western readers, but Chris supported that article. That energized me to share life-deep learning with some Eastern I-Ching content. Fortunately, there are no adverse comments (yet). To me, Chris’ editorial words are like leaves dancing in a cup of Earl's Tea. His flow of words is like a lake where the water ripples – it is only by observing its movement can one understand its beauty.