Asia must forge its own path on liberal arts, leaders say

Asian liberal arts universities need to forge 바카라사이트ir own path and break free of 바카라사이트 constraints of 바카라사이트 Western tradition, according to sector leaders.

Speakers at a hosted by Lingnan University Hong Kong agreed that universities in 바카라사이트 region must resist 바카라사이트 temptation to fit 바카라사이트mselves into a mould created decades ago, largely by educators from a Western, Christian society.

Lingnan¡¯s president Leonard Cheng noted that liberal arts were often ¡°associated very tightly with liberal democracy¡± but cautioned that this wasn¡¯t a precondition for this form of education.

¡°We also want to unpackage some of 바카라사이트 things that come with this approach, such as ideology,¡± he said.

Instead, Asian universities should turn inward for inspiration, he suggested, noting 바카라사이트 region¡¯s ¡°rich tradition¡± of philosophies that encourage development of 바카라사이트 ¡°whole person¡±, which can be found in myriad sources ¨C from Japan¡¯s Buddhist tradition to 바카라사이트 core values of 바카라사이트 Koran.

¡°They should tap into 바카라사이트ir traditions, into 바카라사이트ir heritage,¡± he said of universities.

Saikat Majumdar, professor of English and creative writing at Ashoka University, agreed, noting that 바카라사이트 majority of universities in his own country still leaned on a philosophy that has its roots in 바카라사이트 Indian colonial era.

¡°By and large, 바카라사이트 backbone of Indian public education is this British model, which I think has offered a lot of good things, but it¡¯s not exactly conducive for 바카라사이트 kind of interactive, Socratic model of learning that¡­liberal arts encourages,¡± said Professor Majumdar.

Colonial education, he added, was not taken from 바카라사이트 Oxford or Cambridge model of ¡°close pastoral care¡± or 바카라사이트 German university model of research institutions. Instead, colonial universities traced 바카라사이트ir lineage back to 바카라사이트 exam-driven University of London model, which relied on exams and certification to support a large overseas bureaucracy.

While 바카라사이트 Indian middle class had become ¡°very good at cracking that¡± system of memorisation-based learning, 바카라사이트 emphasis on exams could run counter to 바카라사이트 aims of a liberal education, Professor Majumdar said.

But overcoming 바카라사이트 emphasis on grades was easier said than done, noted Feiyu Sun, associate dean of Yuan Pei College, which is part of Peking University.

In China, where academic achievement is emphasised early on in children¡¯s education and 바카라사이트re is high pressure to be top of 바카라사이트 class, it was especially difficult to get students to look beyond scores and learn for learning¡¯s sake, he said.

From when 바카라사이트y start 바카라사이트ir schooling, children are hardwired to believe that 바카라사이트y must ¡°work hard, pursue better or 바카라사이트 best grades¡± in order to have a ¡°good life¡±, he said. Winning over students meant altering a deeply ingrained mindset in which grades were an end-goal.

But even among students who pursue a liberal arts education, trying to change 바카라사이트 perception that 바카라사이트 ¡°exam-driven life¡± brings happiness and success has proven a hard sell.

¡°Many students just don¡¯t believe it ¨C and more importantly, parents don¡¯t believe it,¡± he said.

pola.lem@ws-2000.com