Flame University

LIBERAL EDUCATION IN INDIA: A WAY FORWARD

Viraj ShahAssociate ProfessorChair, Department of Social SciencesMember, Academic CouncilFLAME University

26 August, 2016

2015 – 16 © FLAME University

• What is liberal education?

• Why liberal education?

• Abilities / Skills developed

• Attitudes cultivated

• Values and attributes inculcated

• How is it achieved?

• New horizons – liberal education is the way forward

CONTENTS


WHAT IS LIBERAL EDUCATION?


• Combination of practical and philosophical approach

• Range of subjects - wider choices (truly liberal and liberating)

• Finding connections between seemingly disparate disciplines

• “not to teach that which is peculiar to any one of the professions; but to lay the foundation which is common to them all”- Yale Report 1828 (Zakaria 51)

WHAT IS LIBERAL EDUCATION?


WHY LIBERAL EDUCATION?


• Not rote learning, but learning to think, write and articulate

• Learning to acquire knowledge on their own - ‘learning to learn’

• Learning different modes of thought

• Be an aware and engaging citizen

WHY LIBERAL EDUCATION?


ABILITIES / SKILLS DEVELOPED


• Inter-disciplinary thinking

• Assimilate multiple perspectives - assimilate, synthesize and evaluate information

• Grasp over a discipline of specialization - updated knowledge of the field

• Communication skills - verbal and written

• Working in a team - leadership, team player

ABILITIES / SKILLS DEVELOPED


ATTITUDES CULTIVATED


• Cultural sensitivity

• Active engagement with the world

• Responsibility towards society - aware and active approach

• Motivated, Passionate, Dedicated, Adventurous

ATTITUDES CULTIVATED


VALUES AND ATTRIBUTES INCULCATED


• Integrity

• Humility

• Commitment

• Reflective and Introspective Approach

VALUES AND ATTRIBUTES INCULCATED


HOW IS IT ACHIEVED?


• Strategies: Academic philosophy and practices - Exposure to

different disciplines; Read across disciplines; Understand different modes of thought

Faculty engagement

Experiential Learning

Mentoring/Peer-Mentoring

Residential life

HOW IS IT ACHIEVED?


• Methods: Variety of courses Discussion-based interactive classes Seminars Written assignments (summary, comparative

analysis, critique) Presentations Group Projects Continuous, constructive feedback; Academic

discussions outside classrooms; Conferences Field-based activities

HOW IS IT ACHIEVED?


NEW HORIZONS – LIBERAL EDUCATION IS THE WAY FORWARD


• Challenges of global world Navigating through diverse cultures and rapidly

changing world Obsolete jobs

• Pursuing passions and turning them into careers Myth of ‘unemployable liberal arts graduate’

• Responsible and conscientious world citizen



• “While I joke that my medieval history and philosophy degree prepared me not for the job market, I must tell you it did prepare me for life.”

• “I learned how to condense a whole lot of information down to the essence. That thought process has served me my whole life… I’m one of these people who believes we should be teaching people music, philosophy, history, art.”

Carly FiorinaFormer Hewlett-Packard, CEO

BA in Medieval History and PhilosophyStanford University, 1976


Thank you.Website – www.flame.edu.inEmail – [email protected] – 1 800 209 4567


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