The Future of Liberal Arts Education: US & Japanese Perspectives

Today, the Liberal Arts in Japanese and American colleges and universities are feeling threatened, as academic freedom, freedom of expression, and entire academic disciplines are coming under scrutiny. Colleges and universities face market pressures to provide job training skills over a traditional liberal arts emphasis on education of the whole person.  The value of studying our cultural heritage in the arts, history, and literature is being questioned.  Now, the unleashed power of AI poses a challenge to the traditional skills of research, writing, and critical thinking. 

This is an important moment to talk about the value of the Liberal Arts to the future of our societies.  Please join us for the first in a series of discussions on the state of the Liberal Arts in Japan and the United States at this pivotal moment. The program is a three-part series: First, a discussion by Japanese and American University leaders; second a discussion among faculty from Japanese and American universities, and third a discussion among Liberal Arts graduate students in the US and Japan sharing their views of their place in the university and their futures. 

*Date, time, and speaker for Part II and Part III TBA

PART I: Discussion by Japanese and American University Leaders