In this session, Professor Lily Kong shared her experiences with establishing and revising the core curriculum of National University of Singapore (NUS) and Singapore Management University (SMU). At NUS, they had to campaign for the General Education (GE) space in the curriculum and realized that it was not so much providing the space but focusing on why GE or the core curriculum is important and communicating this to the faculty. Interdisciplinary courses as well as east-west perspectives in the NUS core curriculum were emphasized. At SMU, they developed Education for Citizenship as the main theme for the core curriculum which consists of Economic Citizenship (to be able to participate in economic development; reduce social inequity), Community Citizenship (social and cultural rights and responsibilities), National Citizenship (relationship between the individual and the state; what can the state do for the individual and what can the individual do for the state) and Global Citizenship (belonging to a larger global society; social consciousness, shared responsibility, interdependence and interconnectedness). From this, SMU came up with 3 “themes” of their core curriculum within which the courses are designed: Capabilities (e.g., numeracy, modes of thinking, managing and reasoning, writing, internship), Communities (economics and society, technology and society, cultures of the modern world, community service) and Civilisations (ethics, social corporate responsibility, big questions, global exposure).

Professor Sheila Coronel shared the history and the current GE core curriculum of Columbia University. In the Columbia core curriculum, “ the pursuit of better questions is every bit as important as the pursuit of better answers.” Skills and habits for “careful observation, close analysis, effective argument, imaginative comparison, and respect for a variety of ideas” are honed. Prepare the students for “life as engaged citizens in today’s complex and changing world”. GE courses are 34-35 credit hours (close to UP’s max 36 units). One core course is on Frontiers of Science featuring different discipline experts. The students can choose 2 global core courses from a long list of contemporary civilization courses offered by different departments. Notable for both NUS and Columbia is the inclusion of PE as part of the core curriculum. In terms of course content and format, Columbia has 3 major themes: “philosophical inquiry, scientific investigation and artistic expression.” They have small classes (max 20 students) “to develop intellectual relationships with the faculty early on”. Emphasis is on discussions and not lectures. Goal is not to introduce the students “to the disciplines but to the intellectual problems that motivate them” (nondisciplinarity). Core texts are also chosen from “major works of cultural significance”.

Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA) Cynthia Bautista focused on issues that face us in UP with regard to implementing the GE program: connectivity, natural and societal disruptions, false truths/ death in the belief of facts/ fabrication of facts, ethics, culture wars (contending narratives), marginalization/inequity, students who are digital natives, students (and teachers) not reading and may be difficulty in educating. She also introduced the human skills matrix or 24 durable skills that our graduates may need in order to face the world of work. She also posed issues that can be discussed as we move forward with GE in UP: humanism, global citizenship, flipping the classroom, cultivating curiosity, engaging the students in GE, GE MOOCs, modules to accommodate microcredits (take anytime with a competence exam at the end), (virtual) GE College/unit of teachers, what is our core curriculum, what goes into it?

Main takeaway from the NUS and Columbia experiences: many similarities with UP, change is not easy, GE space = number of units for GE also an issue in NUS; main GE attributes are the same with Columbia; like SMU citizenship pillars- may be a good way to present and catalyze the essence of the UP GE program. Let’s explore new ways of delivering GE.