I have great pleasure to introduce a mastermind in creative education as well as a scientist in neurology Dr Howard Gardner to our curious audience today. Dr Gardner is a professor at Harvard's Graduate School of Education and an Adjunct Professor at Boston University's School of Medicine. Perhaps he is best known in Hong Kong for his theory of multiple intelligence, which is first published in the book Frames of Mind in 1983. In contrast to the concept of a single intellectual capacity assessed through I.Q. tests, this theory promotes the existence of nine different types of intelligence, ranging from linguistic to logical-mathematical ability, and from musical to bodily-kinesthetic one. The intelligence of great persons from T.S. Eliot to Michael Jordon can be appreciated with this theory.

Multiple intelligence has gained acceptance among educators and schools modeling after the theory might run the risk of standardization and defeat the theory itself. Indeed the crisis of the education sector in Hong Kong or in other parts of the world is that of competition for instant recognition and success, either through scholastic tests or employment rates of the school-leavers. The nurturing of an individual according to his or her own talents and potentials is ignored.

We all know the solution to such institutional problem lies far beyond educational theory. But without a scientific understanding of the cognitive process and possibilities we can't even tackle the theoretical ground, before we come to the practice. Perhaps that's why Dr Gardner is important. On behalf of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, let's welcome Dr Gardner.