Pareena Gupta Lawrence
President
United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia

The Asian Academy for Campus Ministry (AACM) 2025, held at Hong Kong Baptist University from April 30 to May 6, brought together 30 educators and campus ministers from 12 countries across Asia. Under the theme “Nurturing Minds, Empowering Lives: Advancing Mental Health and Mentorship in Campus Communities”, the academy focused on equipping participants with new perspectives and practical strategies to support student well-being and holistic development throughout their college education and beyond....Read more

On April 7, Pareena and Ricky paid a visit to Macquarie University in Sidney, Australia, which has been host to United Board scholars and fellows.

Pareena and Ricky were first warmly welcomed by Professor Simon Handley (Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research) and his colleagues Dr. Louise Dwyer (Operations Director) and Ms. Eva Lu (Graduate Research Scholarship Program Manager) at the Graduate Research Academy, where they engaged in discussions about the United Board’s scholar program to date... Read more

To better understand the needs of Christian higher education institutions in Timor-Leste and explore ways to support them, Cynthia—accompanied by Dr. Ouda Teda Ena, Dr. Made Frida Yulia, and Mr. Thomas Wahyu Prabowo Mukti from the English Institute of Sanata Dharma University—visited six institutions in mid-April. These institutions, many of which have been established within the past five years, are operated by the Catholic Diocese of Dili and other religious orders in Timor-Leste....Read more

For three days from April 3, new staff from the three offices met with Vivek, Sangeeta, and Ruby of Opening Consulting at St. Christopher’s College of Education in Chennai for their development training. These staff include Fred from the New York office, Christian and Bo Bo from the Hong Kong office, and Anita, Sandra, Elizabeth, and Jerusha from the Chennai consultancy office. Anita and Sandra share their reflections on the experience.

Anita Tiphagne
Consultant, Assistant Director of Administration and Partnerships:

“Individuals need a learning atmosphere where a person is challenged and accompanied to be meaningful contributors to society. This learning space has its own charisma—a perspective of openness, trust, vigour and passion. Such a space in an organization gives its team members potential—to be greater versions of themselves and to be true to their calling.

“This is how I have come to look at the United Board. From the top leadership to my team, each person has helped me in this process of being rejuvenated and rediscovering myself and my potential to better understand and serve the cause of Christian higher education in Asia.

“The recently concluded staff development workshop facilitated by the Open Consulting team opened an opportunity for me to look within, to reach out to new friends and colleagues and also focus on our strengths as persons and as a part of the United Board team. We had the opportunity to reflect on the power of purpose-driven meaningful conversations in our work.

“This is an organization that truly believes that the development of its staff is a vital component of organizational development. Each of us is proud to be associated with a people-centered organization which truly works towards whole person development—of its staff, its partner institutions and the student population we indirectly serve in Asia.”

Sandra Joseph
Consultant, Program and Assessment Officer:

“The sessions with Open Consulting for the United Board staff focused primarily on fostering interpersonal and professional relationships, as well as providing an opportunity for self-reflection within the context of a team. The participatory and interactive approach employed by the trainers facilitated a free and open dialogue among us, allowing me to revisit my own personal and professional purpose. The sessions were insightful and enriching, with real-world applications during the practical sessions proving to be particularly useful. These applications contributed significantly to my understanding of my own strengths.

“Moreover, our shared experiences during the sessions helped us to better understand each other’s strengths, which I believe will bring fresh perspectives and new possibilities for the United Board’s future directions. I deeply appreciate the trainers' expertise and thank them for their efforts in making the sessions both informative and engaging. This opportunity has reinforced my convictions to be an integral part of the United Board's vision and mission.”

Jerusha Alice J.
Consultant, Program Assistant

Jerusha joined the United Board on May 1 as Consultant, Program Assistant at the Chennai consultancy office. She holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Psychology from Women’s Christian College, Chennai, with a specialization in Counselling and Psychotherapy. In addition to her academic and field experiences, Jerusha is trained in psychological first aid and special education, and holds certifications in clinical and child counseling.

She has interned at various organizations, including the T.T. Ranganathan Clinical Research Foundation and Dr. RK Diabetic Foot & Podiatry Institute, gaining hands-on experience in addiction counseling and psychosocial well-being. Jerusha is also passionate about community work and has volunteered with organizations such as Justice and Hope and HELP TN during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jerusha supports the administration and coordination of United Board programs in South Asia. Her responsibilities include program planning and logistics, alumni engagement, impact assessment, educational technology integration, and communications and outreach efforts.

Let us extend a warm welcome to Jerusha who would bring her wealth of expertise and experience to further the work of the United Board beyond programming in South Asia.

Saturday, JUNE 7, 2025

Sunday, JUNE 8, 2025

Monday, JUNE 9, 2025

Tuesday, JUNE 10, 2025

Wednesday, JUNE 11, 2025

Thursday, JUNE 12, 2025

Friday, JUNE 13, 2025

Saturday, JUNE 14, 2025