For better education: Habib varsity to prepare students for life with its liberal arts model

Habib University is scheduled to start its sessions in 2014.

KARACHI: Aiming to prepare its students for life by adopting the liberal arts model of education, Habib University promises to push liberal arts and humanities as popular career choice for students and parents alike.

In an interview with The Express Tribune, Dr Mark Weichold, a member of the board of governors at the upcoming institution that aims to open its doors to students in 2014, was positive about the future prospects with the right kind of investment in the education sector.



Dr Weichold's formal interaction with the Habib University Foundation begun around three years ago when a delegation from Karachi visited a branch office of Texas A&M in Doha, where he serves in the capacity of dean, as well as, chief executive officer. The meeting was the beginning point of a multi-faced partnership between the two institutions in pursuit of mutual exchange of knowledge and experience.

In his view, the downside of the prevailing trend in education is the fact that universities have been producing engineers, doctors and accountants but, somehow, liberal education is being neglected. "This phenomenon is not unique to Pakistan as many developing countries share this trend of focusing on professional training instead of education," he admitted. "There is a need to strike a balance by introducing inclusive programmes and Habib University aims to achieve this."

For Dr Weichold, liberal arts and humanities open an individual's mind for lifelong learning distinguished by critical thinking and an appreciative understanding of the world. "This model is a holistic approach to education, combining depth of knowledge in a chosen filed with breadth of knowledge across a variety of disciplines.

What makes liberal education at the Habib University unique is its emphasis on indigenous or traditional knowledge. "Although the academic programme has been developed in consultation with faculty from prestigious academic institutions abroad, it focuses on knowledge that is unique to Pakistan and the surrounding regions," he said.

Such a focus, in his view, would help instil in students the appreciation of their own culture coupled with the skills, knowledge and attitudes needed to make the best use of many opportunities offered in modern Pakistani society. He believed that the partnerships formed with Texas A&M University at Qatar will be instrumental in the development of academic programmes.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 10^th, 2013.