Going Global With HPU
At the helm of HPU for the past 33 years, Chatt Wright has realized his vision of educating for a global citizenship
By Norise Jastillana
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Wright joined HPU in 1972
“It’s where Occident meets Orient,” says Wright of its mystique. “I thought I’d stay for a short period, but I fell in love with Hawaii.”
His parents were less enthused with his destination. “The image of Hawaii was surf and sand. They thought I was rather irresponsible and wondered why I didn’t pursue something of a more serious nature.”
Of course, the years would prove them wrong.
“But it took awhile,” he concedes with a laugh.
Before joining HPU, Wright held a series of “serious” jobs that would make any parents proud: president and CEO of The Queen’s Health Systems, administrator of manpower for the City and County of Honolulu, and economist for the state of Hawaii, among them.
In 1972, Wright joined HPU as its founding business administration dean. In the early years thereafter, he had another vision of sorts.
“I got a sense of the opportunity to build something here,” he remembers. “I recognized this for the first time after three years at HPU. I was 35 approaching 40 before I realized what I was doing. Before then, I just worried about meeting my mortgage and paying bills.”
After that, the future became clear for Wright, who was named president in 1976. “This was my thing — I was fused with this mission to build HPU.”
“Educating for a global citizenship” became Wright’s mantra. But not everyone shared this vision of a “global experience” for HPU students, Wright admits. “This was a new concept that not everyone embraced. The first thing I had to do was sell the idea. I met resistance from all different people — people who had other visions for the university.”
Wright was resolute, inspired by his time in Africa as well as his experiences in Hawaii, itself a prototype of this vision. “We have citizens of different races, origins, who get married, have children, creating an interracial, intercultural society that is open and adaptive.”
Wright traveled throughout Asia — Japan, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Indonesia — and beyond to India, Burma and Pakistan. “I talked to prospective students, they became interested and came here — the school just grew.”
And by leaps and bounds. It’s 9,000 undergraduate and graduate students represent a targeted one-third each international, Mainland U.S. and Hawaii students. Swedish students comprise the largest sector of the European contingent, says Wright, who attributes this to an HPU alumna who staffs an office in Stockholm. The university also has staff in Bangkok to oversee Asia, and a specialist who handles enrollment for Germany and Austria.
To Wright’s knowledge, HPU was the first college or university to adopt this global vision — there was no other model. “We are a model now,” he says.
The end product? Graduates prepared for the world at large.
“The typical HPU student who graduates with a business or liberal arts degree could go to Singapore, London, San Francisco or Honolulu to work,” says Wright.
It’s rare in this day and age to stay with one company for so many years — 33 to be exact. “It’s very simple,” Wright says, “I couldn’t find another job.”
All joking aside,Wright says it’s the challenge of change that’s kept things fresh. “Every year is different,” he states.
One of Wright’s favorite pastimes is fishing
and it appears he’s pretty good at it
Retirement does loom on the horizon, however. “I’ll be 68 in four years, and I’m preparing for that,” he says, explaining that HPU will launch an international search two years prior. Deciding on his successor will involve many constituents — trustees, faculty and staff among them. Surprisingly, Wright expresses no anxiety over changing of the guard.
“There’ll be new people, new vision, new ways,” he states simply.
The father of three grown children and grandfather of four, Wright looks forward to the extra time to spend with his wife, Janice, family and friends. Travel is a passion — “I’ve been to every continent except Antarctica “— as is bird hunting, fishing, playing tennis and enjoying good food and wine.
This summer, he and Janice headed first to New York, then to Austria — where he planned to get in some trout fishing — and then on to Florence, Italy. The couple travels there regularly so that Janice can pick up goods for her thriving business, the Wright Collection. Her Swarovski-studded evening bags and beaded accessories are available in boutiques, resort shops and by special order throughout the world.
Wright believes that a passion for what you do is the secret to success — not money.
“If you go into something for financial gain, you won’t have your heart in it and you won’t do very well. If you’re good at what you do, money will follow.”
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