Workforce Needs, Security Imperatives: The Liberal Arts in the 21st Century

2017.03.15 Universities are proliferating around the world to meet the growing demand for graduates equipped with work-ready skills, and for research that produces innovative approaches to human security. But what kind of study and inquiry actually serves those purposes? Is the rush to address today’s problems leaving us ill-prepared for tomorrow’s tasks? In fact, what happens when students are exposed to a variety of approaches to their world, and researchers are encouraged to follow their curiosity? This lecture examines how the less hurried and more measured liberal arts tradition provides better preparation for the unknowable challenges of the future. Speakers Lisa Anderson Senior Humanities Research Fellow, NYUAD; Former President, American University in Cairo