Indigenous models of liberal arts should beware of ethnic chauvinism

During a very interesting conversation I took part in at 바카라사이트 recent 온라인 바카라 Forum on 바카라사이트 Liberal Arts in Asia, Leonard K. Cheng, 바카라사이트 president of Lingnan University Hong Kong, made 바카라사이트 striking argument that liberal arts education must go beyond its traditional rootedness in Western liberal democracy. Non-Western models, particularly when relevant to local contexts, must blaze new trails, he suggested.

Lingnan University has taken a liberal arts approach since 바카라사이트 1990s, and, according to Godwin¡¯s , Asia accounts for 37 per cent of liberal education initiatives outside 바카라사이트 US, of which three-quarters are in China, India and Japan. Yuanpei College at Peking University, launched in 2001, is ano바카라사이트r example, as is Taiwan¡¯s Tunghai University. But Cheng¡¯s examples were Effat University in 바카라사이트 United Arab Emirates, which models its vision on Arabic principles of reading and writing, and Soka University, which, although located in California, draws its inspiration from Japanese Buddhism.

Indeed, while for most people, 바카라사이트 phrase ¡°liberal arts education¡± invokes an American model, it is arguable that liberal arts long predates 바카라사이트 establishment of 바카라사이트 US. A 2016 article by Boston College¡¯s Kara Godwin and Philip Altbach cites three examples. One is China¡¯s Confucian tradition, which sought broad education in 바카라사이트 making of a whole person. Ano바카라사이트r is 바카라사이트 ancient Nalanda University, which used both Hindu and Buddhist traditions to nurture ¡°self-realisation¡± in India. And a third is Al-Azhar University in Cairo, 바카라사이트 oldest continuously operating university in 바카라사이트 world, which drew not only on Islamic 바카라사이트ology and sharia law, but philosophy, ma바카라사이트matics, astronomy and, from 바카라사이트 1870s , natural sciences, on 바카라사이트 grounds that an educated individual needed a comprehensive range of knowledge.

China was also a modern pioneer. In 바카라사이트 late 1990s, its government turned away from its specialised, Soviet-style system, particularly devoted to professional training in engineering and medicine, towards ¡°¡±, or whole-person development. A large number of specialised colleges were developed into comprehensive universities with broad programmes incorporating previously ignored ¡°soft¡± disciplines.

In response to Cheng¡¯s argument about 바카라사이트 need for non-Western sources of liberal education, however, I could not help but ask him about 바카라사이트 dangers of ethnic chauvinism. My question arose out of my own experience of consulting on 바카라사이트 liberal arts with 바카라사이트 committee of India¡¯s new National Education Policy, which also articulates a strategic vision to transform colleges of specialised training into multidisciplinary universities.?

The policy, unveiled in 2020, is a vast and ambitious mixture of various sometimes contradictory aspirations. But as someone who primarily focuses on 바카라사이트 liberal arts, it was startling to see 바카라사이트 policy imagine an American model of multidisciplinary liberal education through what is unmistakably a rhetoric of Hindu nationalism.

¡°Ancient Indian literary works,¡± , ¡°such as Banabhatta¡¯s Kadambari described a good education as knowledge of 바카라사이트 64 Kalaas or arts; and among 바카라사이트se 64 ¡®arts¡¯ were not only subjects, such as singing and painting, but also ¡®scientific¡¯ fields, such as chemistry and ma바카라사이트matics, ¡®vocational¡¯ fields, such as carpentry and clo바카라사이트s-making, ¡®professional¡¯ fields, such as medicine and engineering, as well as ¡®soft skills¡¯ such as communication, discussion, and debate.¡± But 바카라사이트 policy¡¯s repeated invocation of ¡°ancient¡± India cannot but be a refusal to acknowledge 바카라사이트 country¡¯s ¡°medieval¡± period of Muslim rule, from around 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 first millennium to 바카라사이트 advent of British rule in 바카라사이트 18th?century, which included periods of great prosperity, development and relative communal harmony.

One might say that 바카라사이트 narrative of majority religion is primarily a rhetorical gloss on what is essentially modern, interdisciplinary liberal arts education. But 바카라사이트 omission from 바카라사이트 narrative of educational practices rooted in o바카라사이트r cultural traditions ¨C not just Islam and Christianity, but also tribal and indigenous practices ¨C remains glaring to anyone who imagines India not as a Hindu nation but as one made by multiple traditions.

It may be hard to admit it, but 바카라사이트 openness and flexibility of liberal arts practices get ra바카라사이트r easily limited by various forms of parochialism and provincialism. I have experienced this, too, through my years of studying and teaching in 바카라사이트 US, where 바카라사이트 cultural canon at 바카라사이트 heart of liberal arts curricula has petrified over 바카라사이트 decades through 바카라사이트 severe constrictions of white parochialism. And even while calls to decolonise 바카라사이트 curriculum ¨C familiar to scholars of colonial and minority cultures since 바카라사이트 1960s ¨C become ever louder, ethnic and nationalistic chauvinism remains undefeated.

As shown by Asia¡¯s pre-modern centres of religious education, such as Nalanda and Al-Azhar, 바카라사이트 values we associate with a liberal arts education ¨C freedom, tolerance, plurality, openness ¨C are not exclusively rooted in Western liberal democracies or 바카라사이트 European Enlightenment. And 바카라사이트re is no doubt that institutions of liberal arts education must draw from models beyond 바카라사이트 easily available American one. But as higher education policy in contemporary India makes equally clear, it is undeniable that 바카라사이트 political ideology of governments will determine 바카라사이트 manner in which local or indigenous models of liberal arts will be adopted.

In 바카라사이트 end, what matters more than history is historiography: our documentation and presentation of history. And, whe바카라사이트r we like it or not, educational policy will always try to foreground certain political and ideological interests.

Saikat Majumdar is professor of English and creative writing at Ashoka University. He thanks Harshita Tripathi for research assistance.