The future of liberal arts education in India

Bangalore, January 06, 2014: A high-level delegation of education leaders from U.S., will be attending and participating the conference on, The Future of Liberal Arts in India, January 7-9, 2014, which is taking place in Bangalore, India. Pomona College President David Oxtoby, Claremont McKenna College (CMC) President Hiram Chodosh, and a delegation of U.S. College, University leaders and educators, including UC Santa Cruz Chancellor Dr. George Blumenthal and UC San Diego Chancellor Dr. Pradeep Khosla, will speak and participate in this historic conference.

The event will be co-sponsored by Pomona College, CMC, The Raman Research Institute, the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS), Yale University and the Yale-NUS College. They will explore how the liberal arts and sciences in India are taking root in the form of new institutions and initiatives, while building their own academic traditions that, in turn, will create lasting and meaningful impact on Indian society.

"The creative minds needed to address the most pressing challenges of tomorrow are being cultivated today in the liberal arts. Study of the liberal arts promotes critical and creative thinking, intellectual agility, analytic prowess and the ability to formulate well-reasoned arguments," said Pomona President David Oxtoby.

"A liberal arts tradition fosters a deep capacity for decision-making and creativity in our students as they develop effective solutions to the world's complex, interrelated challenges and opportunities," said CMC President Hiram Chodosh. "Today's youth requires cross-cultural competency, a spirit of collaboration, and an ability to draw connections between diverse fields of knowledge and skills."

Until recently, the value of liberal arts and sciences education on the Indian continent was given short shrift when compared to other forms of education. But in light of advances in online education, instructional methods and curriculum are quickly converging and impacting the way subjects are taught. Taking this situation into account, panel discussions and workshops about the future of education in India will be conducted by a stellar group of innovative and distinguished thought leaders and scholars from the United States and India, on various topics such as:

• What is the role of liberal arts and sciences in training leaders who are responsible to the environmental and societal needs of India?

• Best strategies for implementing online and liberal arts higher education in India, in ways that they have helped in solving challenges for the country in the 21st century.

• How liberal arts can help to create a new generation of graduates who are trained to think creatively about complex issues, such as the urban-rural divide and the rapidly developing nature of the Indian economy.

• How merging science and technology with humanities, philosophy, and arts can address deeper issues facing India.
Featured Speakers

In addition to Pomona and Claremont McKenna colleges, other presidents, deans, professors, and researchers who are participating includes representatives from Harvard School of Business, Ambedkar University of Delhi, California Polytechnic University, Carleton College, Duke University, Ashoka University, and UWC Mahindra College, among others.

Keynote speaker Ramachandra Guha, a noted Indian historian and author, will speak about Pluralism and University Education in India and Beyond. Plenary speaker is Nandan Nilekani, entrepreneur and former CEO of Infosys Inc., whose book, Imagining India: The Idea of Renewed Nation, sets forth a number of bold ideas about the future of India. Claremont McKenna College President Hiram Chodosh, recipient of the 2011 Gandhi Peace Award from the Gandhi Alliance for Peace, will present the topic, The Global Arts Imperative.

More Information:

For the Conference Program, visit: http://www.astro.pomona.edu/blog/mohra/?page_id=268