PURPOSE

The South East Asia Graduate School of Theology was established in 1966 under the auspices of the Association of Theological Education in South East Asia, now known as ATESEA. In cooperation with and on behalf of member schools of the Association, the Graduate School conducts programs of advanced theological studies at the master and doctoral levels and grants the degree of Master of Theology (M.Theol.) and Doctor of Theology (D.Theol).

The program makes available to graduates to approved theological schools in South East Asia the combined Academic resources of the participating accredited schools so that suitable students may have the opportunity of continuing their studies within South East Asia. Selected students from outside the region may also be admitted to the program upon the presentation of proper credential and application form.

The specific aims of the Graduate School are as follow:
1. To assist in the intellectual and spiritual development of Asian theologians so that their Christian ministry will be enrich and be more effective;
2. To contribute to the emergence of contextual and Asia-oriented theology by providing the facilities, and opportunities for research into, and reflection upon, the Christian faith as it relates to the living faiths, cultures and traditions of Asia, and to contemporary Asian society and its problems;
3. To further the training of competent teachers for the theology faculties of the region and of leaders for Christian ministry in the church and society;
4. To promote opportunities for the interchange of the graduate students and faculty members between the different participating institutions with a view to enhancing both a regional consciousness and Christian fellowship across the barriers of race, cultures and nations.

The South East Asia Graduate School of Theology is a Christian institution, which is entirely ecumenical in doctrine and in its relationships to the Churches and participating schools. The faculty and students represent a broad spectrum of Christian belief and denominational affiliation.

ORGANIZATION

PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS

To qualify as a participating school, an institution normally must have at least three Ph.D. holders on its faculty and sufficient library holdings for research at the master’s and doctoral level.

Twenty six schools in seven geographical areas constitute the academic core which conducts in consortium the academic programmes of the Graduate School. They are as follows:

Hong Kong Area

Divinity School of Chung Chi College, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong.

Lutheran Theological Seminary, 50 To Fung Shan Road, Shatin, Hong Kong.

Indonesia – Eastern Area

Sekolah Tinggi Agama Kristen Negeri Toraja, Jalan Ratulangi 80 Rantepao 91831, Tana Toraja, Indonesia.

Sekolah Tinggi Teologi INTIM Makassar, Jalan Baji Dakka 7, Makassar 90134, Indonesia.

Fakultas Teologia UKIT, P.O. Box 4, Tomohon 95362, Sulut, Indonesia.

Fakultas Teologia UKIM, Jalan Ot Pattimaipauw Ambon Indonesia.

Fakultas Teologia UKAW, Jalan Adiscucipto, Kupang 85361 Indonesia.

Indonesia – Western Area

Sekolah Tinggi Teologia HKBP, Jalan Sang Nawaluh No. 6, Pematang Siantar 21132, Sumatera Utara, Indonesia.

Sekolah Tinggi Teologi Jakarta, Jalan Proklamasi No. 27, Jakarta Pusat 10320, Indonesia.

Facultas Teologi Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana, Jalan Dr. Wahidin No. 5, Yogyakarta 55224, Indonesia.

Sekolah Tinggi Teologi Cipanas, Jalan Gadog 1/36, Cipanas-Sindanglaya-Cianjur 43253, Jawa Barat, Indonesia.

Malaysia-Singapore-Thailand Area

Trinity Theological College, Singapore, 490 Upper Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 678093.

McGilvary Faculty of Theology, Payap University, Muang Chiang Mai 50000, Thailand.

Seminari Theoloji Malaysia (Malaysia Theological Seminary), Taman South East, 70100 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.

Sabah Theological Seminary, 26 Jalan Pinggir, Off Jalan Istana, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

Myanmar Area

Myanmar Institute of Theology, Seminary Hill, Insein 11011, Myanmar.

Myanmar Institute of Christian Theology, Seminary Hill, Insein 11011 Myanmar.

Kayin Baptist Theological Seminary, Seminary Hill, Insein, Yangon, Myanmar.

Holy Cross Theological College, 104 Inya Road, 11041 Yangon, Myanmar.

Philippines Area

Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies, P.O. Box 038 Silang 4118, Cavite, Philippines.

Central Philippines University, College of Theology, P.O. Box 231, Iloilo City 5000, Philippines.

The Divinity School, Silliman University, Dumaguete City 6200, Philippines.

St. Andrew’s Theological College & Seminary, P.O. Box 3167, Manila, Philippines.

Union Theological Seminary, Dasmariñas, Cavite 4114 Philippines.

Taiwan Area

Tainan Theological College & Seminary, 117 Tung Men Road, Section 1, Tainan, Taiwan.

Taiwan Theological College & Seminary, 20, Lane 2, Yang-De Blvd. Sec. 2, Shihlin, Taipei 11149, Taiwan.
Yu-shan Theological College & Seminary, 28 Chih-Nan Road, Section 1, Shou-Feng Shiang, Hualien 974, Taiwan.

? Applications to be a participating school is made to the Area Dean who will then make a recommendation to the Senate after she/he has consulted with the Area Committee.

Board of Governors

The Executive Committee of the Association for Theological Education in South East Asia is the Board of Governors of the Graduate School.

The Board is responsible for all financial and budgetary matters of the Graduate School; takes action on requests from accredited schools to participate in program; upon the recommendation of Senate, authorizes conferment of degrees on successful candidates; appoints the Dean, and appoints the faculty (both are the regional) of the Graduate School of Theology on the recommendation of the Senate.

Senate

The Senate of the Graduate school composed of the Dean as Chairperson, the Associate Dean and Area Deans who together with the Dean also constitute the Doctoral Studies Committee. The Senate has the final decision on all academic questions pertaining to the Graduate School of Theology, sets and changes policies and required, and makes decisions in relation to admission and scholarships; external examiners and visiting professor. The senate recommends to the Board of Governors the appointment of area and regional faculty members, and the conferment of degree on such successful candidates.

**The Dean, Associate Dean and Faculty

The Dean has the overall administrative responsibility for the Graduate School and is the chief executive officers of the Board of Governors. She/He is chairperson of the Senate.

The Associate Dean, under the mandate of Dean, takes charge of the Graduate School’s academic activities.

Faculty Members are appointed by the Board of Governors at the recommendation of the Senate and having been nominated by the Area Committees. Normally they are members of the faculties of the participating schools but in all cases they are qualified to instruct graduate students in the fields of study offered by the area in which they reside.

The Senate may nominate Regional Professors who are available for service to the Graduate School’s academic affairs in both regional and area levels. They constitute part of the regional staff of the Graduate school and assist in various ways in the development of its academic program as the Dean/Associate Dean and/or the Board of Governors direct.

Area Committees, Area Deans and Registrars

In each area where the program of The Graduate School operates, the participating institutions form an Area Committee composed of at least three and maximum of seven resident members of the Graduate School faculty, taking care that each institution in the area is represented. Each Area Committee elects two officers, a chairperson (who thus becomes the Area Dean) and a Registrar/secretary. The Dean and Associate Dean of the Graduate School are ex-officio members of each Area Committee and may be present at all meetings of the Committee either in person or through their appointed representative.

**The Area Deans are elected by the Area Committee for a term of four (4) years with the possibility of being re-elected for one (1) additional term of four (4) years.

Area Deans preside at the meeting of their Area Committees, receive applications from prospective enrolees, counsel with the students and, in general, administer Graduate School affairs at the area level under the authority of the Dean/Associate Dean of the SEAGST.

**The Registrars act as secretaries and treasurers for the Area Committees. They maintain the academic and other records pertaining to the Graduate School at the Area level and keep the transcripts of the academic records of all Area graduate students, which they submit annually to the Dean/Associate Dean of the SEAGST. In addition, the Registrars annually submit accounts and budgetary expenditures to the Dean/Associate Dean of the SEAGST.

Doctoral Studies Committee

The Doctoral Studies Program is administrated regionally through a Doctoral Studies Committee composed of the Dean of the Graduate School as chairperson, Associate Dean and the seven Area Deans as members. The Doctoral Studies Committee evaluates applications for doctoral studies presented by the Dean/Associate Dean, and recommends acceptance of the applications to the Senate.

The Doctoral Studies Committee appoints an advisory committee for each candidate and periodically reviews the work of candidates from the report submitted by their Advisory Committee, and finally examines and approves the budget and funding plan for each candidate.

The Advisory Committee for the candidates is composed of the advisor as chairperson and two or more faculty members of the SEAGST. The Advisory Committee designs a program of study with the candidates in their field, supervises the candidates in carrying out their program of study, and reports the progress of the candidates to the Doctoral Studies Committee through the Area Dean.

**Doctoral Studies Centres

The Graduate School intends to organize the Doctoral Studies Program through Doctoral Studies centres, which are to be set up in strategic places in the various regions. A Doctoral Study Center is a venue which can provide the following: a location that is conducive for doing theological contextualization effectively in relation to a specific Asian tradition through graduate research and study; access to academic resources adequate for graduate and doctoral work – libraries, qualified teachers, study institute, etc.; residential facilities for graduate students who might bring their families with them; the service of residence faculty member who will coordinate doctoral work in the centre on behalf of the Dean/Associate Dean of the Graduate School of the SEAGST; and the possibility of academic community life among the students and faculty.