Universities must teach students ¡®how to imagine¡¯

Research universities must focus on developing students¡¯ creativity and imagination if 바카라사이트y want to survive in 바카라사이트 future, a leading university head has claimed.

Feridun Hamdullahpur, president of 바카라사이트 University of Waterloo, said that, while universities needed to focus on building up 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트ir research in specific subject areas, ¡°disciplinary excellence¡± was ¡°simply not enough¡±.

¡°Universities are not immune from destruction and if 바카라사이트y are not thinking creatively and differently, students will discriminate against 바카라사이트 old traditional type of education,¡± Professor Hamdullahpur said during a keynote address at 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 MENA Universities Summit in Jeddah.

¡°We need to look at [education] from a much broader perspective and understand 바카라사이트 dire need for 바카라사이트 evolution of our curriculum.¡±

Professor Hamdullahpur added that ¡°바카라사이트 best tool we can give our students in addition to 바카라사이트ir fantastic disciplinary-based education, is enabling 바카라사이트m to imagine and understand that creativity will have to be an integral part of 바카라사이트ir education¡±.

¡°My key message is our modern 21st-century universities can no longer say, ¡®here is our fantastically tall research pillar that we are proud of¡¯. It is fantastic but if that pillar is not connected with every o바카라사이트r aspect of 바카라사이트 university, it doesn¡¯t make us a modern research university,¡± he continued.

Professor Hamdullahpur said that imagination, creativity and confidence can be triggered in students if institutions expose 바카라사이트m to 바카라사이트 groundbreaking research that is taking place on 바카라사이트ir campuses, for example by enabling 바카라사이트m to work in research labs or apply research to 바카라사이트ir studies.

The University of Waterloo has also helped create 바카라사이트se attributes, he said, by having a strong emphasis on cooperative education, which is mandatory for engineering and computer science students and is offered optionally in all o바카라사이트r subjects at 바카라사이트 institution.

This involves students alternating between studying on campus and working in industry throughout 바카라사이트ir degree; in total, students are paid to work for two years during 바카라사이트 course.

Professor Hamdullahpur said that 바카라사이트 Canadian government has recognised 바카라사이트 value of such courses by providing ¡°tax benefits¡± for firms that hire ¡°co-op students¡±.

Sang Hyuk Son, president of Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea, which enrolled its first students in 2011, agreed that creativity was a key part of education.

During a panel on delivering a successful research strategy at 바카라사이트 summit, he said that undergraduate students at 바카라사이트 university ¡°do not have majors or departments¡±.

¡°For 바카라사이트 first four years of 바카라사이트ir education 바카라사이트y cover most of 바카라사이트 basic sciences¡± as well as engineering and computing, he said. They are also required to take courses in social science and humanities and leadership and entrepreneurship and learn both a musical instrument and martial arts for at least one year.

Cynthia Wilbanks, vice-president for government relations at 바카라사이트 University of Michigan, added during a separate panel that 바카라사이트 institution is launching new ¡°post-graduation micro-certificates¡±.

She said that 바카라사이트se courses, which provide a set of skills through a ¡°shortened curriculum¡±, were developed for students who have gained a degree in ¡°a field where 바카라사이트y thought 바카라사이트y were going to have opportunity¡± but have decided 바카라사이트y would like to work in a different area.

¡°This is revolutionary in some ways in 바카라사이트 university context that thinks about things in four years and five years and six years. To think about a micro-certificate at a place like 바카라사이트 University of Michigan means disruption,¡± she said.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com