Here she is: Ruth Hayhoe, Professor
President Emerita, The Education University of Hong Kong
Honorary Fellow, University of London Institute of Education
Honorary Fellow, The Comparative and International Education Society
Silver Bauhinia Star, Government of the Hong Kong SAR
Commandeur dans l’ordre des Palmes Académiques, Government of France
Victoria University gave her a Doctorate in Humane Letters on Sept.3 this year
Recent Publications:
Religion and Education: Comparative and International Perspectives http://www.symposium-books.co.uk/bookdetails/101/
China Through the Lens of Comparative Education http://newbooksnetwork.com/ruth-hayhoe-china-through-the-lens-of-comparative-education-the-selected-works-of-ruth-hayhoe-routledge-2015/
Transforming Canada China Educational Cooperation http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/cidec/Research/conference_2014.html
Comparative and International Education: Issues for Teachers
https://www.canadianscholars.ca/books/comparative-and-international-education-2nd-edition
That’s for starters.
Ruth and I live in the same building. I met her in the swimming pool 16 years ago and our friendship has grown in the ensuing years. It began with detached, impersonal but friendly conversation in the hot tub and went on from there. I’m so old now I have outlived my peer group and the few who are still living have left their premises, with no short- or long-term memory. When I’m working on something, I usually have a few thoughts or decisions I like to discuss with an intelligent sounding board. I’m not looking for feedback or advice, just sympathy, I guess—a friendly ear. My peers’ ears are gone, hence Ruth in the hot tub, and Julia, her protegée, a delightful young Chinese-American, also with an impressive doctorate and list of awards, also a swimmer.
Julia and Ruth are both scholars and teachers, in constant demand at conferences all over the world and at OISE in Toronto where they work when they are in Canada. Just take note of the topics of the few titles I have given you above and you’ll get an idea of their area of expertise. What is really important and exciting about their work is that it transcends politics. The China these two dear women know and work in is disparate from the China we know from the trade disputes and treatment of the protesters in Hong Kong. it gives me hope.
Ruth’s work is illuminated by her deep faith. She gave a speech recently, she told me —I guess it was an acceptance speech for yet another award—when she had to account for her astonishing (to herself and her family) transference and commitment to China, that is, to her students and graduates whom she has nurtured over 30-some years. She found the through-line in her increasingly huge and surprising moves. She called her speech “God’s Surprises”.
Julia taught me how to make tea with leaf tea! (Tea bags are very bad for the environment and you). I bake muffins for her and Ruth. And we talk. and share. Well, you know how it happens. Friendship is reciprocal and incremental and I am always grateful, and surprised.