Promoting liberal arts education

We came to the United States on a Leadership Scholarship Programme sponsored by the US Department of State to complete Bachelors Degree at Ashland University, Ohio. Prior to studying in the United States we studied in two prominent departments at Rajshahi University in Bangladesh. Our curriculum, in Bangladesh, consisted only of core courses which seemed logical to us at the time. However, since Ashland University is a liberal arts college, we were required to take many general education courses, e.g., religions, theatre, literature courses, which were unrelated to our major. We were surprised and felt frustrated. Initially we were surprised to think why would Finance or International Relation major need to take religion, physics or art appreciation courses? In the United State, under liberal arts education curriculum, students need to take at least something of everything and also in-depth studies of major subjects.

But what is a Liberal Arts education? A liberal arts education is a broad-based multi-disciplinary education rather than focusing in one specific area by which a student becomes familiar with different problem-solving perspectives. In a liberal arts education system, a student gets to know something of every discipline rather than focusing on his major only. As Finance and International Relation students we had to learn about physics, biology, philosophy, aesthetics, math, computer etc. But what the curriculum looks like in our country? Our curriculum in the public universities focus only on core courses related to major, i.e., a finance student studies only finance or basic business courses. However, one might say that focusing in one area rather than focusing on multi-disciplinary studies will increase one’s expertise.

If we monitor the situation closely, we can see that our private universities also emphasise on liberal education. A BBA student in a private university in Bangladesh gets to know physics, aesthetics, i.e., outside of their major. Dhaka University’s Institute of Business Administration (IBA) has a long tradition of following some sort of liberal arts education. Unfortunately other public universities are still following the old curriculum and techniques. Most the people who take decisions to espouse liberal arts education in the private universities are/were somehow engaged in public university management. But it is a paradox that public universities as a whole are still deprived of such a good education curriculum.

It is conceivable that knowledge on different fields is interrelated. When a business graduate does business in different countries, he/she needs to focus on local culture and religion. A sociology or religion course could serve this purpose and could enhance the knowledge of the business graduate to be more successful in the professional arena. Truly speaking, concentrating on one field of knowledge will narrow down one’s way of thinking and will restrict one’s world of imagination. World today is increasingly getting complex, and to make appropriate choices we must be able to come to decisions from broad and multiple perspectives. We should analyse information and alternatives critically, often working collaboratively with others who may differ from us in background and experiences. We need to realise that the choices we make have consequences, and we must be prepared to stand by the consequences of the choices we make.

Such a liberal arts education helps prepare us for the full range of activities in our lives; it prepares us for a lifetime of learning in response to changes in ourselves and in the world. A liberal arts education will give us the knowledge and the confidence in our own analytical abilities to successfully handle some of the most challenging situations. No other form of education provides such characteristics and preparation for living.

Since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina wants to bring change in every sector of Bangladesh, introducing discussion-based liberal arts education in the public universities could be the first step towards positive structural change in the education sector in Bangladesh.

*This article was published on the daily New Age in Bangladesh on January 28, 2009, and also on the daily Independent on March 1, 2009.