Dean's Message

The Faculty of Arts at Lingnan stands at a powerful intersection of legacy and change. We are a robust liberal arts faculty with deep disciplinary strengths, located in a region that is redefining technology, culture, and public life. Our task now is not only to preserve what we do best, but to show—clearly and confidently—why the arts matter in an age of automation and rapid transformation.

As the new Dean, I see myself as a bridge: bringing tested leadership experience to new challenges. In my previous leadership roles, I have worked to promote the arts and humanities within institutions with a strong STEM focus, to harmonize established disciplines with emerging fields, and to build international partnerships that link research, teaching, and immersive student experiences. Those lessons will inform how we move forward together at Lingnan.

In the coming years, the Faculty of Arts would benefit from focusing on three intertwined priorities: connected governance, critical digital / AI humanities, and enhanced public visibility. Connected governance means shifting from a culture of silos to one of shared purpose. It calls on us to trust one another’s strengths, to communicate more openly across units, and to see the success of a colleague or programme as part of our own success. My commitment is to create conditions in which collaboration feels natural and supported.

We will also cultivate Lingnan’s distinctive voice in Critical Digital / AI Humanities, guided by a simple conviction: technology should deepen, not diminish, our humanity. Our students and colleagues will feel confident engaging with digital and AI tools, and equally confident in asking hard questions about their ethics and implications. Together, we can model a way of working with technology that is imaginative, critical, and grounded in care.

Finally, we will strengthen the public presence of the Faculty of Arts. Not so much about self-promotion, visibility is about sharing what we know and do with the communities we serve. I look forward to working with all our stakeholders to build a Faculty where collaboration is structural, where AI and digital transformation is also a human turn, and where the arts’ distinctive powers of imagination and critique help shape excellence.

Prof. John Erni
Dean of Arts
Chair Professor of Cultural Research