May 13, 2008

Dr. Kirpal Singh, who teaches creative thinking at the Singapore Management University, will discuss “Creativity and Language: Challenges and Issues” during a lecture at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 8, at California State University, Fresno.

Singh’s appearance, sponsored by the university’s College of Arts and Humanities and Department of English and will be held in the Alice Peters Auditorium of the Peters Building. Admission is free.

Singh, who has written poetry, fiction and criticism, is an advocate of creative thinking to break through from the rote learning of pre-college education. It is an issue of helping students think for themselves, rather than repeating what they think others want to hear, he has said. That is of particular concern in Singapore, where people don’t want to offend other people nor break a law, he said.

He told the Chronicle of Higher Education, "Self-censorship has made people afraid. It is important for them to be bold, brave and robust. There is no point in going along in the same groove others have mapped out."

Singh has lectured at universities and businesses around the world and has performed at literary or arts festivals in Canada, Scotland, England and Australia.

For more information, contact Fresno State English professor C. Lok Chua at 278.4928.