The Future of Liberal
Arts in India
Towards an Integrated Education – Undergraduate
Liberal Arts and Sciences in India: A Conference on
New Directions, New Curriculum, and New
Institutions.
Raman Research Institute, Bangalore, Jan. 7-9, 2014
Sponsored by Yale University, Pomona College, Claremont
McKenna College, the Indian Institute of Human Settlements,
and the Raman Research Institute
The Future of Liberal Arts in India - Bangalore - Jan. 7-9, 2014
1
Towards an Integrated Education – Undergraduate
Liberal Arts and Sciences in India: A Conference on
New Directions, New Curriculum, and New
Institutions.
CONFERENCE OVERVIEW
Liberal Arts and Sciences Education in India is taking root
in a number of new institutions and initiatives, making
this
an
opportune
time
to
showcase
some
of
these
new
ventures, and explore how Indian liberal arts education can
develop
in
its
own
way,
building
its
own
academic
traditions that create lasting and meaningful impact for
society.
Advances
curriculum
are
in
online
converging,
education,
and
we
hope
pedagogy,
to
create
and
a
stimulating workshop where leaders advancing Indian higher
education can discuss the future landscape of education in
India.
In
our
meeting,
we
will discuss
the
best
strategy
for
implementing online and liberal arts higher education in
India in a way that will help solve some of the challenges
that India faces in the new century. Liberal arts education
can help create a new generation of graduates trained to
think creatively about complex issues such as the urbanrural
divide,
the
economy. Liberal
technology
with
rapidly
arts
developing
education
humanities,
nature
merges
philosophy,
of
Indian
science
and
the
arts
and
to
address some of the deeper issues facing India.
Liberal
Arts
education
and
intended
Science
to
Education
foster
provides
creative
and
"holistic"
independent
thought. It is an education that can liberate people to
pursue their passions, enabling them to do their best and
expand their capacities in all fields. One goal of such an
education is to produce graduates who will approach the
world with a more balanced perspective, and who can create
new jobs and programs to help others with a sense of social
responsibility. How is liberal arts best suited for the
Indian context? What has been the experience of the new
initiatives in liberal arts in India?
We use the occasion to not only assess the relevance of and
need for Liberal Arts education in India but to also meet
with Presidents, founders and Vice Chancellors of leading
liberal arts institutions and foundations to engage in an
exchange of experiences and ideas aiming to learn and be
motivated or motivate action for bettering the education of
the youth of India and the world.
We will meet at the
green and serene grounds of the Raman Research Institute in
Bangalore, a place created by Prof Sir C.
well
over
six
decades
ago
for
Raman himself
research
in
physical
sciences. We meet for two days and a morning with time set
aside for discussions between talks both in a formal and
informal
setting.
Please
come
and
help
us
discuss
and
envision the future for liberal arts and science education
in India!
Plenary
talks
by
noted
historian
and
author
Ramachandra
Guha and by former Infosys CEO Nandan Nilekani will provide
an exciting context and motivation for our meeting with
considerations
for
the
implications
of
new
liberal
arts
institutions as it relates to India’s history, politics,
and future industrial development. Our confirmed presenters
include
education
Founding
some
and
Vice
University,
of
the
most
industry
in
Chancellors
Azim
Premji
dynamic
India
and
and
leaders
the
Presidents
Foundation,
of
United
of
Indian
higher
States.
the
Ashoka
Institute
of
Human Settlements, O.P. Jindal Global University, and Shiv
Nadar
University
will
be
attending
with
many
of
their
academic leaders from these new institutions. They will be
joined
arts
by
Presidents,
colleges
College,
and
Deans
and
universities
Yale-NUS
College
professors
abroad
from
such
(Singapore),
liberal
as
Duke
Pomona
University,
Claremont McKenna College, and Carleton College. Professors
from
Yale
University
(Sciences,
Social
representing
Science
and
all
three
divisions
Humanities)
will
be
attending, led by K. Sivaramakrishnan, Chair, South Asian
Studies Council and Director of the Yale India Initiative.
A list of confirmed attendees is attached at the end, and
is
also
available
at
the
conference
web
site
at
http://www.astro.pomona.edu/blog/mohra/.
CONFERENCE
PROGRAM
The meeting has been designed to foster dialog and working
collaborations
that
will
create
sustainable
partnerships
among the new liberal arts institutions in India, and their
counterparts in the United States and Singapore. A set of
introductory talks will outline the vision of each of the
institutions
and
their
rationales
for
the
curriculum.
Presentations by groups of leaders will address particular
questions
relevant
to
India,
such
as
“how
can
higher
education create a more just and sustainable India?” or
“What is the role of liberal arts in training leaders who
are responsive to the environmental and societal needs of
India?”
the
Panel discussions will discuss the curriculum and
ways
provide
in
the
which
best
new
institutions
possible
and
initiatives
undergraduate
can
instruction
in
science, humanities and social sciences that will educate
responsive
enable
and
working
collaborations
creative
groups
and
leaders.
from
the
A
final
session
institutions
partnerships
for
to
will
explore
undergraduate
education, curriculum development and research.
Preliminary Schedule for “Future of Liberal Arts in India” Conference.
This schedule includes a set of speakers and a lively mix
of plenary talks, panel discussions, and working groups to
enable
an
structure
interactive
of
sessions
the
that
preliminary,
program
as
we
engaged
meeting
span
and
and
Jan.
some
conference.
is
described
7-9,
2014.
adjustments
further
refine
our
below,
This
may
The
in
five
schedule
be
list
basic
made
of
to
is
the
attendees,
presenters, and topics for discussion.
Pre-Meeting Reception/Icebreaker (Jan. 6, 2014)
Venue: Raman Research Institute Terrace (6:30-9:30 pm) –
Registration and Reception. A chance to meet some of the
meeting participants and enjoy the venue before the meeting
starts. Conference programs, nametags, etc. will also be
passed
out
during
registration.
Refreshments
will
be
provided, and conference attendees can meet each other in a
relaxed social setting.
Day 1 Preliminary Schedule (Jan. 7, 2014)
Opening
Remarks
-
(9:00-9:15
am)
Venue:
Raman
Research
Institute Auditorium. Short welcomes from the RRI, Pomona
and Yale.
Keynote
Speaker -
University
Guha,
Education
noted
include
original
(9:15-10:15
in
historian,
frequent
thinking
India
and
author,
columns
about
am)
and
“Pluralism
Beyond,”
thinker.
about
current
India’s
history
http://ramachandraguha.in/
Sivaramakrishnan, Yale)
Short break – 10:15-10:30 am
.
and
Ramachandra
His
works
politics
and
(introduced
future
by
and
K.
Session
I
-
Introductory
Talks
–
New
Institutions,
New
Curriculum for India (10:30-12:30 am) Venue: Raman Research
Institute
Auditorium.
Speakers
will
introduce
themselves
and the vision of their institutions toward liberal arts.
They will discuss their curriculum and programs, and their
particular
concerns
and
questions
they
hope
to
address.
These speakers will be given 30 minutes each, including
time for 5-10 minutes of questions and discussion with the
audience. Questions are important as we want to maintain an
interactive feel to the meeting.
10:30-11:00 am – O.P. Jindal Global University – global
affairs curriculum, and vision for the future (Raj Kumar)
11:00-11:30
am
–Ashoka
University
–
liberal
arts
curriculum, and vision for the future (Pramath Sinha)
11:30-12:00 am– Azim Premji University – access and equity
in higher education and future plans (Anurag Behar)
12:00-12:30 pm– Indian Institute for Human Settlements –
environmental studies programs in India and future plans
(Aromar Revi)
LUNCH – 12:30 -1:30 pm
1:30-2:30 pm – Plenary Panel Discussion I: “How can Indian
higher
education
India’s
culture
religious
literature?
and
better
–
its
reflect
diverse
spiritual
the
full
heritage
traditions,
richness
and
and
array
its
of
of
deep
And what impacts would such a new form of
higher education have on the future of India?”
Potential Panelists: Vasudha Dalmia (Yale), Venu Narayan
(Azim
Premji),
Rajan
Chandy
(Rishi
(Shristi School), Nita Kumar (CMC).
Valley),
Tara
Kini
Introductory Talks (continued) – New Institutions and New
Curriculum for India
1:30-2:00 pm – Shiv Nadar University – plans and progress
(Nikhil Sinha)
2:00-2:30 pm – Open (speaker TBD; additional institution
TBD).
2:30-3:00
pm–
Yale-NUS
curriculum
and
liberal
College
arts
in
(Singapore)
Asia
(Rajeev
–
common
Patke,
or
perhaps one of Charles Bailyn or Pericles Lewis)
3:00-3:30 pm – Presidency University (Kolkata) – liberal
arts curriculum and future plans (Somak Raychaudhury)
3:30-4:00 pm – Open (speaker TBD; could be Hiram Chodosh,
CMC)
4:00-4:30 pm – TEA BREAK
4:30-5:00
pm
–
OPEN
for
plenary
talk
or
additional
institution
5:00-6:00 pm – Plenary Panel Discussion II: “What is the
right balance between broad access to higher education –
scalability and affordability - and building excellence and
selectivity?”
Potential Panelists: Dileep Ranjekar (Azim Premji), Aromar
Revi
(IIHS),
Radhika
Herzberger
(Rishi
Valley),
Pramath
Sinha (Ashoka), and Steven Wilkinson (Yale).
7:00-9:30 pm - Cultural Program + Dinner. (Venue: Terrace
of RRI research building.) A public announcement of the
event will be made, and alumni from Yale, Pomona and other
institutions
program
will
featuring
be
invited
Indian
to
dance
a
large
reception
and
and
some
discussion
of
creative arts.
Performers will be selected and introduced
by the RRI host institution.
Day 2 Preliminary Schedule (Jan. 8, 2014)
The second day will be relocate to the Indian Institute of
Human Settlements, just a short distance (less than 1 km)
south of the Raman Research Institute. In this session we
would feature a series of panel discussions focused on the
details of the curriculum and institution - how does your
institution
teach
or
present
science?
Online
learning?
Humanities?
What balance is best for common curriculum vs.
electives?
What expertise
will your institution develop
and what niche are you working toward?
Session II
- Liberal Arts Education in the US and India
Some of the US host institutions will describe some of
their approaches to liberal arts education. In this session
panels
of
five
presenters
will
pose
and
answer
some
difficult questions facing India and its higher education
sector, and how new institutions and new liberal arts and
science curriculum can address these problems.
The session
will create a dialog among a mixed group of presenters and
with the audience.
US
Institutions and Liberal Arts and Sciences
9:00=9:30 am – Opening Remarks – Lakshmi Saripalli (RRI),
and Pankaj Chandra (Director, IIM Bangalore) [introduced by B.
Penprase, Pomona College].
9:30-10:00 am
– Pomona College and its liberal arts
mission (David Oxtoby, President, Pomona College)
10:00-10:30 am – “Liberal and International Education at
Yale” (Kalyanakrishnan Sivaramakrishnan, Director, South
Asian Studies and India Initiative, Yale University).
10:30-11:00 am
– “Research and Institutional Culture at
Liberal Arts College – what does it mean to be a
teacher/scholar at a liberal arts college?” (Bryan
Penprase, Pomona College)
11:00-11:15 am
- Short Break
11:15-11:45 am – Building Centers of Excellence in Research
at Higher Education Institutions – A history of US science
research policy – David Drew, Claremont Graduate School
(and leader of several US NSF initiatives in 1970s and
1980s to build research centers of excellence, author of
“STEMing the Tide”).
11:45-12:15 pm – “Liberal thinking in India: Ancient model
for contemporary practice,” Dr. Laurie Patton, Dean of Arts
and Sciences, Duke University.
12:30-1:30 - LUNCH – Served at the IIHS research center six
blocks South of RRI in Bangalore. Will be a “working lunch”
with tables designated by topics for our afternoon breakout
sessions.
Session III – Details of Governance, Curriculum and Support
for Building Excellence in Liberal Arts
After
lunch,
the
meeting
will
break
into
two
parallel
sessions, which will feature panel discussions of how to
implement
science,
humanities,
common
curriculum,
and
experiential learning into undergraduate education, and the
ways
these
programs
provide
transformative
and
holistic
education for undergraduates. The smaller groups in each
panel
discussion
will
enable
deeper
discussions
and
potential collaborations.
1:30-2:30 pm Parallel Panel Discussions I – Science and
Common Curriculum at Liberal Arts Institutions
Session A: Panel 1 - Science in Liberal Arts institutions –
Panelists would include various faculty from institutions
represented at conference.
Potential
Panelists
include:
David
Oxtoby
(Pomona),
Arjendu Pattanayak (Carleton), Priya Natarajan (Yale), and
R. Rajaraman (JNU).
Session B: Panel 2 - Common curriculum models – Panelists
would include various leaders from India and the US.
Potential
Panelist
include:
Pericles
Lewis
(Yale-NUS),
Anitha Kurup, and others TBD.
2:40-3:40 pm Parallel Panel Discussions II – Humanities and
Experiential Learning at Liberal Arts Institutions
Session A:
Panel 3 - Humanities for 21st Century India -
what is the best approach?
Potential Panelists include: Kevin Dettmar (Pomona), Rajeev
Patke (Yale-NUS), Sharada Srinivasan (NIAS), Beth McKinsey
(Carleton), and Cynthia Humes (CMC).
Session B: Panel 4 – Experiential Learning, Internships,
and
Science
Research
for
Undergraduates
at
Liberal
Arts
Institutions
Potential Panelists include: Sara Smith Orr (CMC), Bidushi
Bhattacharya (Keck Science Department, Claremont Colleges),
and others TBD.
Session IV – Working
In
this
session
Group Meetings
smaller
groups
will
convene
to
work
together on particular topics of mutual interest. We would
start
the
meeting
with
a
possible
set
of
topics
and
a
whiteboard that would enable people to sign up for these
"breakout" or “birds of a feather” groups. A total of 6-8
of
these
groups
"partnerships
for
would
online
convene
with
learning,"
titles
"common
including
curriculum
development," "outreach and access," and other topics TBD.
These sessions would make use of 6-8 meeting rooms that
could be at RRI or IIHS.
3:45-4:00
pm
–
Overview
of
Working
Groups,
and
Introductions to the Working Group Leaders.
Each of the working group topics will be announced in this
plenary session, and the working group leader will stand
and offer a short thumbnail description of the topics they
will be focused on in the working group discussions.
4:00-5:00 pm- Working Group Discussions
- these topics
will be chosen to be most useful and relevant to attendees,
and which can lead to longer term collaborations. Group
leaders
will
convene
a
focused
discussion
on
specific
topics, and report back to the entire conference some plans
for addressing each topic at their home institutions as
well as potential and proposed collaborations.
5:00-5:30 pm - TEA BREAK
5:30-6:30
pm
–
Panel
Discussion
III
–
How
to
sustain
India’s environment and economic growth throughout the 21st
century – political and scientific dimensions
Panelists
include:
Aromar
Revi
(IIHS),
Steven
Wilkinson
(Yale), Radha Gopaland (Rishi Valley).
Evening Reception and Dinner
– hosted by Nandan Nilekani
or Aromar Revi of the Indian Institute of Human Settlements
– further details will be forthcoming.
Day 3 Preliminary Schedule (Jan. 9, 2014)
This
final
session
would
feature
reports
back
from
the
various working groups, and a discussion of how best to
continue
the
collaborations
and
contact.
Partnerships
between the institutions can be discussed - we may hear
from new connections between US and Indian institutions,
and also between Indian institutions.
Session V: Conclusion and “next steps”
9:00-10:00 am - Opening Plenary – Nandan Nilekani, former
CEO
of
Infosys,
Inc.,
currently
chair
of
the
Indian
Government Committees on technology – UIDAI and TAGUP, and
author of the book “Imagining India.” (Introduced by Aromar
Revi, IIHS).
10:00-10:30 am - reports from working collaborative groups
– a series of 5 minute recaps of working group “breakout”
discussions.
10:30-11:30 am – Panel Discussion IV: “How can liberal arts
and sciences help address some of the societal problems
within India and promote equity in society with regards to
gender, caste, and region?”
Potential Panelists: Smita Premchandar (Sampark NGO), Madan
Padaki
(Head
(filmmaker),
(NIMHANS),
Held
Sriram
Betty
High
Foundation),
Aiyer
(NalandaWay),
Bernhard
Swati
Dandekar
Shekhar
Seshadri
(playwright,
and
theatre
discussion.
[session
professor, Pomona)
11:30-12:00
pm
- Next
steps
-
a
facilitators: K. Sivaramakrishnan (Yale), and Pramath Sinha
(Ashoka)]
12:00-12:30 pm - concluding remarks (Satish Inamdar).
12:30-1:30 pm - LUNCH
1:30 PM ADJOURN; POSSIBLE POST-CONFERENCE DINNER
HOSTED BY PRAMATH SINHA, AND HIS EDU GROUP. DETAILS
TBD. CONFIRMED ATTENDEES AND ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
The
Conference
Organizers
include
a
group
from
Pomona,
Yale, IIHS, and RRI. The team has been very successful in
lining
up
some
dynamic
and
exciting
leaders
in
higher
education and industry for our conference. Below is the
Committee, and a list of confirmed attendees as of July 18,
2013.
Organizing Committee
Prof.
Bryan
Penprase,
Frank
P.
Brackett
Professor
of
Astronomy, Pomona College
Dr. Lakshmi Saripalli, Astrophysicist, Raman Fellow, Raman
Research Institute, Bangalore, India.
Prof. K. Sivaramakrishnan, Dinakar Singh Professor of India
and South Asian Studies; Chair, South Asian Studies Council
of Yale University; Director, Yale India Initiative
Mr. George Joseph, Director for International Relations and
Leadership Programs, Yale University
Dr. Aromar Revi, Director of the Indian Institute of Human
Settlements,
and
noted
expert
on
climage
change
and
environmental science.
Prof.
Pramath
Sinha,
Senior
Director
of
Albright
Stonebridge Group, founding Vice Chancellor of the Ashoka
University, and founder of the Indian School of Business
(ISB).
Keynote Speakers
Nandan Nilekani, entrepreneur, former CEO of Infosys, Inc.
and currently chair of two key Indian government committees
on technology (the Technology Advisory
Group for Unique Projects - TAGUP and the UIDAI committee), will deliver
a
keynote
speech
to
our
"Future
of
Liberal Arts in India" conference on
January 9, 2014. Mr. Nilekani was CEO
of Infosys, Inc., from 2002 and 2007,
and presided over the growth of this
company
as
it
expanded
to
over
80,000
employees
and
surpassed a worth of $30 billion, making it India's third
largest
IT-based
company.
Mr.
Nilekani's
book
Imagining
India: The Idea of a Renewed Nation sets forth a number of
bold ideas about the future of India, and his contributions
to
the
discussion
frequent
speaking
of
India
in
engagements,
popular
TED
culture
talks
appearance on the Jon Stewart Daily Show.
and
include
even
an
We are excited
he will be joining our conference and addressing our group
with his vision about the Future of Liberal Arts Education
in India!
More information about Mr. Nilekani is available at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nandan_Nilekani
http://www.ted.com/speakers/nandan_nilekani.html
Ramachandra
Guha,
philosopher
and
noted
author,
Indian
will
be
historian,
columnist,
delivering
a
keynote
address at the “Future of Liberal
Arts in India” on January 7, 2014.
Mr. Guha studied at St. Stephen’s
College,
the
Delhi
School
of
Economics, and the Indian Institute
of Management at Kolkata, where he
wrote
a
doctoral
history
Chipko
and
thesis
on
prehistory
movement.
Now
the
of
a
the
full-time
writer, he has previously taught at
the
universities
of
Yale
and
Stanford, held the Arné Naess Chair at the University of
Oslo,
and
been
the
Sundaraja
Visiting
Professor
at
the
Indian Institute of Science. Mr. Guha is a prolific and
profound
author
history,
politics,
books
authored
of
Civilized:
A
Verrier
books
anthropology
or
Environmentalism:
many
co-authored
Global
Elwin,
His
on
topics
and
ranging
cricket.
by
Mr.
Titles
Guha
History,
from
include
Savaging
Tribals,
and
of
India,
the
The
Unquiet Woods: Ecological Change and Peasant Resistance in
the
Himalya,
A
Corner
of
a
Foreign
Field:
The
Indian
History of a British Sport, Last Liberal and Other Essays,
Nature, Culture, Imperialism: Essays on the Environmental
History of South Asia, and several other titles.
More information about Mr. Guha is available at:
http://ramachandraguha.in/
http://www.amazon.com/Ramachandra-Guha/e/B001IR1CXI
Confirmed Attendees
• Dr. David Oxtoby, President, Pomona College
• Professor Kalyanakrishnan Sivaramakrishnan, Dinakar Singh
Professor of India and South Asian Studies, Professor of
Anthropology
and
Studies, Professor
Forestry
of
&
International
Environmental
&
Area
Studies, Co-
Director, Program in Agrarian Studies; Chair, South Asian
Studies Council; Director, Yale India Initiative
• Dr. Pramath Sinha, Founder and Vice Chancellor, Ashoka
University; Director, Young India Fellowship (will bring a
team from Ashoka University)
• Professor
Malabika
Sarkar,
Vice
Chancellor,
Presidency
University (Kolkata)
• Dr. Aromar Revi, Founder and
Institute of Human Settlements
Director
(will
of
also
the
come
Indian
with
a
small group)
• Dr. Raj Kumar, Founder and Vice Chancellor of the O.P.
Jindal Global University (with a small group)
• Mr. Dileep Ranjekar, CEO, Azim Premji Foundation
• Professor
Nikhil
Sinha,
Founding
Vice
Chancellor,
Shiv
Nadar University
• Mr. Anand Sudarshan, Founder and Director, Sylvant, and
former Director, Manipal Global Education
• Professor
Vasudha
Dalmia, Chandrika
and
RanjanTandon
Professor of Hinduism and Professor of Religious Studies,
Yale University
• Professor
Steven
Wilkinson, Rohini
and
Nandan
Nilekani
Professor of India and South Asian Studies; Professor of
Political Science and International Affairs; Director of
Undergraduate Studies in Ethics, Politics and Economics,
Yale University
• Professor
Priya
Natarajan,
Professor
of
Astronomy
and
Physics; Chair Women’s Faculty Forum, Yale University
• Professor Venu Narayan, Azim Premji University
• Mr. Madan Padaki, Co-founder and Executive Chairman, Head
Held High Foundation, Bangalore
• Dr.
Rishikesha
Krishnan,
entrepreneur,
author
and
professor at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore
• Professor
Laurie
Patton,
Durden
Professor
of
Religion,
Dean of Arts and Sciences, Duke University
• Dr
Satish
Inamdar:
Director,
Krishnamurti
Foundation,
Bangalore
• Professor Rajeev Patke:
NUS College, Singapore
Director of Humanities at Yale-
• Professor David Drew: Former Dean of Claremont Graduate
Education
School,
renowned
expert
on
science
and
math
education
• Dr.
Supriya
Chaudhuri,
Jadavpur
University,
Kolkata
–
involved in forming Tagore University, and prolific author
• Dr. K P Mohanan, IISER Pune – founder of center of
Integrative Studies, who has worked on a number of issues
related to liberal arts
• Dr. Cyrus Vakil: Deputy Head of College / Director of
Studies, UWC, Pune
• Ms. Nivedita Narain: PRADAN (NGO), Program Director
• Dr. Anup Kumar Dhar: School of Human Studies at Ambedkar
University, Delhi
• Dr.
Usha
Rajaram,
Director
of
Learning,
UWC
Mahindra
College, Pune
• Ms. Seetha Ananthasivan: editor of the Bhoomi magazine,
Founder of Bhoomi Network, Aastha Foundation and Prakriya
Green Wisdom School, Bangalore
• Professor Bryan Penprase: Pomona College, ACE Fellow, Yale
University, New Haven, CT; Astrophysicist, author and
educator.
Prospectus prepared by the “Future of Liberal Arts in India” Organizing Committee. Questions or more information?
Please contact bpenprase@pomona.edu or check our web site at http://www.astro.pomona.edu/blog/mohra/