Hopes and dreams of a (liberal arts) college in Nepal
One of my long-term goals is to help start a (liberal arts) college in Nepal. I believe a liberal arts-inspired model of education can have a transformative impact on Nepal by providing students with a well-rounded education that cultivates critical thinking, creativity, and a commitment to social impact. In Nepal, where the education system is often focused on rote memorization and standardized testing, a liberal arts education can foster the development of skills crucial for success in the 21st century.
Patrick Awuah, also a Swarthmore alum and founder of a liberal arts college (Ashesi University) in Ghana, makes an excellent argument for an education system that fosters ethical, entrepreneurial leaders in this TED talk, which I think also is relevant in the Nepali context.
On my most recent trip to Nepal (Jan - early Feb ‘23), I had the opportunity to meet and interact with several stakeholders in the education sector. Below is a summary of these interactions and subsequent reflections and what the path forward might look like.
a) Meeting with Nepali parliamentarians about liberal arts in Nepal: I had the opportunity to meet with a small group of Nepali parliamentarians (and, separately, the Education Minister) while in Nepal in January. A bill is currently at the upper house of the federal parliament about the University of Nepal – a new university proposed by a group of established, highly credible professionals in Nepal. There is an ongoing discussion in the parliament about the goals and ethos of the proposed new university. The University’s Development Board Chair arranged my meeting with the Upper Parliament’s Legislative Affairs Committee members.
The goal of the meeting was to share fundamental concepts/characteristics of a liberal arts education. While the University of Nepal will not be a purely “liberal arts'' college, the goal is to base it on general liberal arts principles. My interaction was designed for the parliamentarians to learn more about the value and characteristics of a liberal arts education and contrast it with other models/types of education they are familiar with.
b) Awareness of and readiness for nationally untested education models:
A key takeaway from my interaction with the parliamentarians was that there is still a preference to continue with currently existing models (primarily education models designed to impact professional education) and only very selective enthusiasm towards providing a broad-based, interdisciplinary learning experience (a new concept in Nepal) for students. Of course, the proposed University of Nepal is trying to change that narrative, starting from the very top. But it was clear from my interaction with the lawmakers currently debating the University of Nepal bill that more work needs to be done to generate awareness among key policy stakeholders (and the general public) about the need, importance, and value of a liberal arts type of education.
At this point, the best one can hope is for the government (and lawmakers) not to create roadblocks for educational approaches and models that veer away from what is generally implemented. The good news is that the University of Nepal has broad support, and if all goes according to plan for its establishment, it will pave the way for other newer models to be introduced in Nepal.
Still, there are lingering questions about the demand for such type of education (i.e., will students trust such educational institutions/universities in the short term while its utility is not locally established?) The strategy to fulfill the resourcing needs of such a university, given that federal/provincial governments might not provide any substantial monetary support at this early stage, is also difficult to parse out.
c) A 6 to 10-year vision for a liberal arts college in Nepal: I drew two important conclusions from this trip to Nepal, mainly from my interaction with the parliamentarians. First, there is still a general lack of understanding regarding the significance and relevance of the liberal arts model and how this connects to the broader skills/values needs in the country. More work is required on that front. Second, it would be challenging to generate the necessary resources and support to start a full-fledged liberal arts college immediately. Even ongoing efforts to create a new university will undoubtedly face tough challenges in getting the government to provide financial support. They will also have issues attracting young students to the University.
At this point, a more strategic plan would be to begin with summer and semester-based programs that bring together a small number of students from liberal arts colleges (LACs) in the United States and local students. If done well, this approach can gradually stimulate the national interest in the liberal arts education model. I am beginning to work on this: the idea is to implement this strategy for 6-8 years, collaborating with multiple US-based liberal arts colleges before transitioning to a formalized liberal arts institute/college.
This proposed liberal arts structure, in the long term, could function as a center for semester-abroad programs for colleges outside Nepal and provide year-round programs and a liberal arts experience for students in Nepal and around the world. This approach offers a gradual development of the liberal arts model in Nepal and provides a roadmap to a more sustainable and robust liberal arts college. By fostering a coalition of international and local partners and supporters, we can lay a strong foundation for creating a successful and impactful liberal arts college in Nepal in the future.
