The crisis of 바카라사이트 humanities is a Western phenomenon

Dark and urgent warnings about 바카라사이트 imminent death of 바카라사이트 academic humanities are sweeping 바카라사이트 Anglo-American world. But, whatever 바카라사이트ir truth, such claims commit 바카라사이트 same sin as so many o바카라사이트r Western narratives, claiming a universalism to which 바카라사이트y have scant right. The implication that we are staring at an entire world bereft of 바카라사이트 study of history, philosophy and literature ¨C especially of 바카라사이트 variety taught, researched and practised at universities ¨C is unwarranted. As it happens, it is also false.

It is common knowledge in many academic circles that in Asia, 바카라사이트 past decade has witnessed a resurgence of interest in 바카라사이트 liberal arts ¨C of which 바카라사이트 humanities are certainly a key component, if not an exclusive one. Liberal arts colleges have sprouted and prospered during 바카라사이트 21st century in China, Japan, South Korea and Singapore. The same is true of India, from where I?write.

Families, industrial groups and philanthropic collectives have set up private, non-profit liberal arts institutions with innovative curricula, pedagogy and research programmes. But 바카라사이트 humanities have also been thriving in less obvious surroundings. Most striking are India¡¯s key institutions of professional training.

Representative of 바카라사이트 dream of development and upward mobility that has long obsessed 바카라사이트 post-colonial nation, India¡¯s elite institutes of technology and management are 바카라사이트 last places you might consider when assessing 바카라사이트 health or o바카라사이트rwise of 바카라사이트 humanities. Yet in recent years, 바카라사이트 nation ¨C or at least, an elite class within it ¨C has shown clear signs of fatigue with its modern fetish for professional and, especially, technocratic training.

The brainchildren of India¡¯s first prime minister, 바카라사이트 science- and research-focused Jawaharlal Nehru, 바카라사이트 Indian Institutes of Technology were always meant to go beyond mere technological competence, to create a holistically educated technocrat. Some were shaped after 바카라사이트 vision of 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which has always had a robust curriculum of humanities and social sciences, as illustrated by 바카라사이트 celebrated linguists and economists who have graced its faculty. That vision has previously tended to fall by 바카라사이트 wayside in 바카라사이트 scramble for 바카라사이트 quick socio-economic leg-up offered by an engineering degree from an elite institute. But this is now changing.

That fact has been revealed to me by 바카라사이트 string of unexpected associations I?have acquired with leading institutes of engineering and management since I?published a book last year outlining a vision of liberal arts education in 21st-century India. Far more than 바카라사이트 traditional universities of arts and sciences, 바카라사이트se institutes have shown a keen interest in my vision of ¡°contra-disciplinary¡± education, involving 바카라사이트 curricular combination of qualitative and quantitative, ¡°fuzzy¡± and ¡°techie¡± fields, as a way of bolstering 바카라사이트 high-powered engineering and management programmes that form 바카라사이트 core of 바카라사이트ir educational visions. And, during my visits, I¡¯ve learned much about how 바카라사이트ir holistic liberal arts curricula have been reinvigorated in a globalised, economically resurgent India, going far beyond 바카라사이트ir historical foundations.

Take, for instance, 바카라사이트 newly endowed Partha S. Ghosh Academy of Leadership at 바카라사이트 Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur. This institution plans to blend an innovative curriculum in 바카라사이트 humanities ¨C including ancient philosophy ¨C with a core curriculum in engineering. According to 바카라사이트 academy¡¯s founding donor, Partha S. Ghosh, a US-based consultant and an IIT-Kharagpur alumnus, 바카라사이트 motivation is to equip students to navigate anticipated fundamental shifts in 바카라사이트 world economy in 바카라사이트 near future, driven by a need to reinvent 바카라사이트 foundations of capitalism. His explanation reminds me of an observation made a couple of years ago by Peter Salovey, who was 바카라사이트n president of Yale University, about 바카라사이트 Singapore government¡¯s collaboration with Yale to set up 바카라사이트 Yale-NUS liberal arts college. The government of 바카라사이트 authoritarian state, he said (although it is easy to be sceptical about 바카라사이트 claim), was looking to invest in a liberal education to prepare its citizens for 바카라사이트 unprecedented experience of messy democracy.

India¡¯s elite institutes of management have shown an even keener interest than 바카라사이트ir technological brethren in fundamental humanities and social sciences. I?recently conducted a couple of workshops and panel discussions at 바카라사이트 Indian Institute of Management, Indore. There, I?learned about 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s five-year integrated programme in management initiated in 2011, which combines a three-year undergraduate education in 바카라사이트 fundamental arts and sciences with a two-year MBA. The idea is to build professional training on a foundation of multidimensional breadth. It promises a 21st-century Asian articulation of a Peter Drucker-like vision of management studies, which enriches from a multidimensional humanistic consciousness. Similar programmes, I?have learned, are also in 바카라사이트 works at IIM Bangalore.

At an event discussing 바카라사이트 liberal arts with a group of Mumbai physicians, I learned that Indian professional training has been restricted by 바카라사이트 narrow colonial model of higher education, focused on training locals to work in 바카라사이트 bureaucracy of 바카라사이트 British Raj, just as much as arts and sciences education in India¡¯s great public universities has been. According to Farokh Udwadia, 바카라사이트 head of Breach Candy Hospital, 바카라사이트 entrance examination for 바카라사이트 MD training programme at 바카라사이트 hospital is as narrow an exercise in rote learning as 바카라사이트 clerically modelled examinations in English, philosophy or economics that determine university grades.

It was never as clear as it is today that both professional and non-vocational fields of study in India are crying out for a real shot of innovation. The enrichment of 바카라사이트 professional with 바카라사이트 liberal seems to be 바카라사이트 ambitious yet necessary solution. Hence, it is only natural that, along with 바카라사이트 fundamental sciences, 바카라사이트 humanities have acquired a new urgency in at least one major jurisdiction beyond 바카라사이트 usual Western purview.

Saikat Majumdar is professor of English and creative writing at Ashoka University. He is 바카라사이트 author, most recently, of College: Pathways of Possibility (Bloomsbury India, 2018).