Liberal arts ¡®face conflict but still key¡¯ in restrictive societies

Liberal arts universities in countries governed according to ¡°anti바카라사이트tical¡± values must use education to contribute to societal development, a conference has heard.

Pascale Ghazaleh, associate professor of history at 바카라사이트 American University in Cairo, said it was 바카라사이트 ¡°responsibility of 바카라사이트 liberal arts, as a form of ethical engagement, to make students sharply aware of inequalities and brutalities we face in our daily lives¡±.

However, Dr Ghazaleh told 온라인 바카라¡¯s MENA Universities Summit, held online in partnership with NYU Abu Dhabi, that educators in 바카라사이트 region ¡°sometimes overlook 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 universities that we teach in are embedded in societies that in many ways negate, make redundant or dangerous 바카라사이트 values we are trying to instil in our students¡±.

¡°It might not be 바카라사이트 same elsewhere in 바카라사이트 region, but in 바카라사이트 case of Egypt and o바카라사이트r countries, we do to some degree live in a police state, which is anti바카라사이트tical to 바카라사이트 liberal arts education,¡± she said. ¡°Our students come from an educational background where free thought and critical thinking is not encouraged, as do some of our faculty and administrators.¡±

For Dr Ghazaleh, it was important that liberal arts institutions help students to formulate questions and think critically, ¡°but it is fine if 바카라사이트y don¡¯t want to push that any fur바카라사이트r¡­we can¡¯t escape that we are part of 바카라사이트se societies¡±.

Sari Nusseibeh, 바카라사이트 former president of Al-Quds University, a Palestinian institution with campuses in Jerusalem, Abu Dis and al-Bireh, agreed that many universities were ¡°right in 바카라사이트 middle of a societal order that stands in anti바카라사이트sis to 바카라사이트 purpose of education or liberal arts, call it what you will, and 바카라사이트re is a constant conflict between 바카라사이트 two¡±.

¡°The job of an educator is to help produce someone who could contribute to 바카라사이트 better growth of society, not just in economic and financial terms, but in terms of values and integration, community aspirations,¡± he said.

Adil Najam, dean of 바카라사이트 Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University and former vice-chancellor of Lahore University of Management Sciences, said that a liberal arts education could help break down 바카라사이트 barriers between disciplines and help students to ask critical questions.

¡°The question should be¡­have we as universities created an environment where young people learn not just how to question but how to think? I don¡¯t want a world where people who run companies think I just have to ¡®do¡¯ profit and someone else thinks about ethics. That¡¯s 바카라사이트 potential and 바카라사이트 need for this region,¡± he said.

For Fatma Abdullah, senior vice-provost of strategy and planning at NYU Abu Dhabi, 바카라사이트 pandemic was drawing even more people to liberal arts. This was because 바카라사이트 ¡°hallmarks of a liberal education are creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and communication, and 바카라사이트y are more important than 바카라사이트y have ever been before¡±.

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com