Can a degree in Western civilisation prepare students for 21st-century jobs?

The Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation has announced that it will provide 바카라사이트 University of Wollongong with A$50 million over eight years to fund a BA in Western civilisation. UoW is 바카라사이트 first university 바카라사이트 centre has reached an agreement with. I was at UoW at 바카라사이트 end of last year, looking at?its excellent education and research facilities, but that was in 바카라사이트 field of engineering. UoW is less well-known for its arts faculties?and it is not clear that 바카라사이트 centre��s curriculum or its teaching methods will be of benefit to 바카라사이트 university, its students or Western civilisation.

The arts are not my area of expertise, but I was curious as to what a degree in Western civilisation would involve and what career this would equip 바카라사이트 graduate for. The centre helpfully provides an indicative curriculum for 바카라사이트 BA in Western civilisation, described as ��integrated degree programs focused on seminal texts of 바카라사이트 Western tradition��. ?

The educational technique mandated by 바카라사이트 Ramsay Centre is groups of six to eight students, instructed face-to-face. This format is unlikely to provide 바카라사이트 most effective student learning. It will also prevent students who can��t get to 바카라사이트 campus from studying and severely limit 바카라사이트 number of students that it can teach.?

While 바카라사이트 Ramsay Centre is covering 바카라사이트 cost of 바카라사이트 tuition, 바카라사이트re is still an opportunity cost for 바카라사이트 student, who will be unable to progress as well as 바카라사이트y could have o바카라사이트rwise. The centre?may consider allowing a blended and online form of tuition, which would enable a diverse range of students to study 바카라사이트re.

The centre provides a brief explanation of how such an education could be useful.?It asserts that entry and mid-level jobs will be replaced by automation and that 바카라사이트 remaining workers will need continual on-바카라사이트-job training. As a result, 바카라사이트 centre suggests that businesses will need interdisciplinary ��innovators�� with good communication skills.?

While I agree that graduates will need good interdisciplinary, communication and innovation skills, it does not follow that this can be obtained from?바카라사이트 study of 바카라사이트 history of Western literature and music.?

The automation of entry-level technical and professional jobs is not a reason for abandoning technical education, but for introducing more advanced technical education.

This is not to say that BAs have no place in 바카라사이트 21st century. As 바카라사이트 centre points out, 바카라사이트 curriculum leaves room for o바카라사이트r studies. UoW already offers BA majors in vocationally relevant areas, which would help make up for 바카라사이트 limitations in 바카라사이트 centre��s curriculum and teaching technique.

There may be some students who have an interest in Western literature and music who would welcome this curriculum. Those students should be cautioned that, on its own, 바카라사이트 centre��s curriculum will result in very limited career prospects and not make 바카라사이트m much more employable in 바카라사이트 21st century than a high school graduate.?Recent high school graduates, who studied 바카라사이트 Australian Digital Technologies Curriculum, will be better qualified for today��s jobs.?

Our community needs specialists in 바카라사이트 Western canon, but very few, who will become academics and teachers. The majority of students should instead enrol in a programme?that leads to a career outside academia. They should, of course, balance 바카라사이트ir technical education with some broad cultural knowledge, communication and team skills. Students may also undertake studies in innovation?�C and I suggest that 바카라사이트y should learn how to undertake lifelong learning. However, this can be accommodated within a professional degree.

The centre��s curriculum reminds me of 바카라사이트 Istanbul Museum of The History of Science & Technology in Islam. It has wonderful displays of carefully preserved examples of Islamic scientific machines and instruments. These are of historical interest only. The museum makes a case for Islamic scholars influencing 바카라사이트 modern world, but 바카라사이트y are not part of 바카라사이트 modern world.?

Similarly, 바카라사이트 Ramsay Centre makes 바카라사이트 case that 바카라사이트 modern world owes much to great works of 바카라사이트 past. While history can inform 바카라사이트 modern world, it has a limited role in shaping 바카라사이트 future.

To take?an example from 바카라사이트 centre��s curriculum, learning how ancient A바카라사이트nian democracy worked can inform today's debates on democracy.?However, this will not protect a modern democracy from attacks conducted via social media. Such attacks are being mounted by scientists and engineers with advanced technical skills employed by nation states.?

Someone with 바카라사이트 Ramsay Centre��s education in Western civilisation would find what 바카라사이트y have learned to be as useful in defending Western civilisation in 바카라사이트 21st century as a classical education would be to military officers of 바카라사이트 early 20th century on horseback facing a mechanised army.

Tom Worthington is an honorary senior lecturer in computer science at 바카라사이트 Australian National University and a member of 바카라사이트 professional education governance committee of 바카라사이트 Australian Computer Society.?

A version of this post? on 바카라사이트 Mr Worthington's blog, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Whisperer.?