The Return of the Liberal Arts to Europe

By Nigel Thrift. The liberal arts have always been a North American preoccupation. It has traditionally been one of the main ways in which American and Canadian higher education has presented itself to the world. Liberal-arts colleges are some of the jewels in the crown of American higher education, and the spirit of the liberal arts has impressed itself on many of the great American universities. But now the liberal arts are moving out into the world. For example, in Europe, liberal-arts colleges are beginning to grow in number, especially in the Netherlands. So are liberal-arts degrees. For example, a number of British universities, including University College London and King’s College London, are now offering liberal-arts degrees, and more will follow. In Asia the founding of the Yale-NUS College, in Singapore, is a brave experiment. Read more...