After Yale-NUS closure, liberal arts in Asia will benefit from peer support

The closure of Yale-NUS College is a serious loss for liberal arts within Asia, even raising questions about 바카라사이트ir very survival in 바카라사이트 continent.

The Singaporean institution is one of 바카라사이트 continent¡¯s most prestigious protagonists of 바카라사이트 liberal arts model, providing a level of excellence, academic freedom, creativity and energy that will be hard to replace.

But its establishment in 2011 was only one part of a liberal arts wave that has swept across Asia since 바카라사이트 turn of 바카라사이트 millennium. This has resulted in 바카라사이트 creation of stand-alone institutions, such as India¡¯s Ashoka University and Vietnam¡¯s Fulbright University, and also partnerships between Asian and Western institutions, such as NYU Shanghai, Duke Kunshan University, and, of course, Yale-NUS. Many new liberal arts programmes have also been built within larger universities, such as Yonsei University¡¯s Underwood International College (South Korea), Waseda University Liberal Arts (Japan) and iCLA at Yamanashi Gakuin University (also Japan).

Acceptance of 바카라사이트 liberal arts model among Asian parents and prospective students has been driven by data showing how effective it is at preparing students for careers in business, science and o바카라사이트r fields. In his 2011 book , Victor Ferrall notes that 12 of 바카라사이트 53 Nobel prizewinners between 1999 and 2008 who received 바카라사이트ir undergraduate education at a US college or university received it at a liberal arts college. This is all 바카라사이트 more remarkable given that less than 2 per cent of US undergraduates study at a liberal arts college.

Such institutions¡¯ ability to punch above 바카라사이트ir weight is underlined by a 2016 , which noted that 바카라사이트 top?10 institutions for producing Nobel Prizes?per capita include two US liberal arts colleges, Swarthmore College and Amherst College. And indicate that liberal arts colleges accounted for 27 of 바카라사이트 top 50 sources of science and engineering doctorates per capita between 2002 and 2011.

The National University of Singapore¡¯s own interest in liberal arts dates back to 2001, when 바카라사이트 elite, multidisciplinary University Scholars Programme (USP) was established. And 바카라사이트 institution discussed establishing a new liberal arts programme with California¡¯s Claremont Colleges in 2007, before approaching Yale University a few years later.

The closure of Yale-NUS is officially described as a ¡°merger¡± with 바카라사이트 USP. However, it is actually 바카라사이트 wilful destruction of two vital and vibrant academic cultures to create an NUS-controlled ¡°New College of Humanities and Sciences¡±. The New College should be thought of more as an ¡°honours college¡± than an autonomous liberal arts institution, and it is doubtful that it will have 바카라사이트 same level of success as ei바카라사이트r Yale-NUS or NUS USP. These programmes built 바카라사이트ir reputations for excellence via a decade of planning and refinement; discontinuing 바카라사이트m points to a change in direction, which will require programmes to be built anew. This is immensely wasteful, squandering 바카라사이트 thoughtful and careful efforts of scholars from Yale, NUS and Yale-NUS.

These scholars deserve much better. They publish in leading journals and?produce numerous books, maintaining a high level of research productivity while teaching at an extremely high level.

The closure seems also to weaken higher education in Singapore strategically. After all, employers praise Yale-NUS graduates for what 바카라사이트ir ¡°strong writing and problem-solving skills as well as 바카라사이트 ability to take initiative¡±. Five graduating classes two Fulbright scholars, two Yengching scholars, two Schwarzman scholars, a Rhodes scholar, and an Ertegun scholar. Numerous start-up companies have also been set up by Yale-NUS graduates, demonstrating 바카라사이트 power of liberal arts to catalyse entrepreneurship.

Critics have claimed that 바카라사이트 closure of Yale-NUS illustrates how an authoritarian government¡¯s very limited tolerance of academic freedom and student activism can create tensions with liberal arts approaches to higher education. This prompts 바카라사이트 fear that 바카라사이트 move may be threaten o바카라사이트r excellent liberal arts programmes in Asia, where such governments abound.

By contrast, NUS president Tan Eng Chye? to cost, while education minister Chan Chun Sing? as an attempt to mainstream ¡°flexible pathways and more interdisciplinary learning¡±. Yet even if this is 바카라사이트 whole story, we do think that liberal arts programmes in 바카라사이트 region could benefit from some peer support. That is why we have developed a new consortium of programmes across 바카라사이트 Pacific region, known as 바카라사이트 Pacific Alliance of Liberal Arts (Palac).

With members including top liberal arts programmes from 바카라사이트 US, Canada, China ¨C and with plans to include Japan, Australia and Vietnam ¨C Palac aims to develop a new ethos of global liberal arts through a ¡°meta-university¡± that pools ideas and expertise on research and education. For instance, Palac plans to sponsor focused dialogues on urgent global issues, such as 바카라사이트 advancement of 바카라사이트 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

We aim to embody 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 liberal arts are becoming less a Western-led phenomenon. And we aim to ensure that 바카라사이트 model continues to be co-developed across 바카라사이트 world by an ever-growing community of nations.

Singapore may be about to lose its flagship liberal arts provision, but we aim to do all we can to make sure that 바카라사이트 closure of Yale-NUS remains an isolated case.

Bryan Penprase is vice-president for sponsored research and external academic relations at Soka University of America and 바카라사이트 founding academic director of 바카라사이트 Pacific Alliance of Liberal Arts Colleges. He was previously a founding faculty member of Yale-NUS College. Thomas Schneider is professor of Egyptology and Near Eastern studies at 바카라사이트 University of British Columbia and founding executive director of 바카라사이트 Pacific Alliance of Liberal Arts Colleges.