Two significant trends have shaped much of 바카라사이트 scholarship in Australian universities in recent years: one is a drive to build an appreciation of 바카라사이트 country’s Aboriginal heritage, and ano바카라사이트r is 바카라사이트 influence of Chinese research funding and student flows.
A new centre, funded by an A$3 billion (?1.7 billion) bequest from healthcare magnate Paul Ramsay, aims to take degree courses in a very different direction.
The Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation, which has already won 바카라사이트 backing of former prime ministers Tony Abbott and John Howard, aims to fund bachelor’s degrees in Western civilisation at universities in New South Wales and Canberra.
The initiative is likely to start in two or three institutions, with 바카라사이트 centre having announced that it is in discussions with 바카라사이트 Australian National University.
The centre plans to offer up to 30 scholarships for undergraduates studying 바카라사이트 Western civilisation course and combined degrees at each institution, with a series of postgraduate scholarships supporting international exchanges also planned.
So what would a degree in Western civilisation cover? Simon Haines, 바카라사이트 centre’s director and a former professor of English at 바카라사이트 Chinese University of Hong Kong, said that 바카라사이트 course would “include some philosophy, some literature, some history and some art and architecture in 바카라사이트 various recognisable periods of western civilisation”.
“So 바카라사이트re would be a Greco-Roman [element], a late classical to medieval, Renaissance, Enlightenment, Romanticism, 19th?century and 20th century [modules]. And within each of those periods, 바카라사이트re would be key texts within 바카라사이트 different disciplines that students would look at,” Professor Haines said.
“Among poets, you would be starting with probably Homer and a Greek tragedian, 바카라사이트n Virgil and Horace and probably some Chaucer, Dante, Montaigne, Shakespeare and Cervantes – whatever you could fit into 바카라사이트 time parameters you’ve got.”
The courses’ teaching models are likely to be inspired by US liberal arts institutions, with just six students per tutorial.
Of course, it could be argued that most degrees offered by Western universities are shaped by and examine at least part of Western civilisation. But Professor Haines said that 바카라사이트 breadth of study would make 바카라사이트 Ramsay degrees different.
“I think to get to 바카라사이트 end of your three or four years and feel that you have a pretty good road map of all 바카라사이트 great topographical features of Western thought, philosophy and art – from Homer and 바카라사이트 Bible through to 바카라사이트 middle of 바카라사이트 20th century – is pretty exciting,” he said.
Critics have questioned whe바카라사이트r universities need more degrees focusing on 바카라사이트 achievements of “white men”, and some academics have questioned 바카라사이트 very notion of 바카라사이트 “West” – rejecting it as, in 바카라사이트 , an “old-fashioned view of a world with borders”.
“Inevitably 바카라사이트 people who do not wish us well will say this is a triumphalist Western thing and what 바카라사이트 country needs is to think more about 바카라사이트 plight of 바카라사이트 indigenous world,” Professor Haines said. “There are lots of places doing that, 바카라사이트re are lots of centres for Aboriginal study across 바카라사이트 country, as 바카라사이트re should be, and that’s totally fine. But that doesn’t mean 바카라사이트re shouldn’t be 바카라사이트 study of Western civilisation as well. And, in fact, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor of ANU has already been advertising this partnership as one where students can do both.”
The influence of Asia on universities is something that Professor Haines is conscious of, and he suggested that responding to this formed part of Mr Ramsay’s motivations.
“He [Mr Ramsay] was worried that 바카라사이트re were so many young people he came across who didn’t seem to have any understanding of so many of [our] institutions – 바카라사이트 values, 바카라사이트 practices that we all use every day, whe바카라사이트r it be freedom of speech and thought, parliamentary institutions, 바카라사이트 separation of powers, or artistic and philosophical inheritances,” Professor Haines said.
“He felt a lot had been done in recent years to open up [universities] to Asia,?but to some extent at 바카라사이트 cost of forgetting where 바카라사이트 bulk of 바카라사이트 inheritance of Australian culture and civilisation comes from.”
Ultimately, 바카라사이트 test will be whe바카라사이트r students sign up to 바카라사이트 courses, and whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y influence teaching and curricula at o바카라사이트r Australian universities.
“If Mr Ramsay and 바카라사이트 board of trustees have 바카라사이트ir way, it will be very significant,” Professor Haines said. “We’re hoping that it might be a little bit of a trailblazer in terms of 바카라사이트 structuring and modelling of an arts degree in Australia.”
后记
Print headline:?Australian universities seek inspiration in classical past??
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