FLAME University has announced a strategic tie-up with the third largest university of Canada, York University. With this partnership, FLAME has expanded its international collaborations portfolio in the space of liberal education.
The joint association will be focused on student exchange, joint programmes, research and curriculum development. Ten students of FLAME University have already spent a semester at York University and students from York are expected to participate in FLAME’s Discover India Programme beginning July 2018.
FLAME University is committed to enhancing the educational experience of students by encouraging and providing them with opportunities to operate in multilingual and multicultural settings at an international level. This exposure adds value to the students by diversifying their learning experience; enhances their employability by having demonstrable experience of living and learning in a culture which is different from their own.
Apart from York University, FLAME has strategic relationships with renowned institutes such as Wellesley College, Yale University, Nuffield College – University of Oxford, Babson Collaborative, and Kelley School of Business – Indiana University Bloomington.
Healthy partnership
Ananya Mukherjee-Reed, Dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies and Professor of Political Science at York University, said, “I am delighted with the collaboration with FLAME University. In my interactions with FLAME’s students, I was inspired by their commitment to innovate, to defy boundaries and to have an impact on society. I commend FLAME’s faculty and its leadership in making this possible. I am keen to send our students to FLAME’s Discover India Programme, which will give our students direct experience of fieldwork and research under the supervision of FLAME faculty.”
“Our partnership comes at a time when there is global recognition of the value of liberal education. In part, it comes from the success stories of graduates and the kind of creativity they can offer. Most importantly, we all recognise the need to strengthen our democracies everywhere and develop a deeper understanding of our fellow citizens. Liberal education is essential for this. I feel hopeful that through our partnership, we can assume global thought-leadership in liberal education for the 21st century,” she added.
Liberal education
Dean Mukherjee-Reed also said, “I also had the opportunity to have fruitful interactions with students, guidance counsellors and parents of several high schools in Mumbai. The students I met were extremely bright and ambitious. Canadian universities and governments (federal and provincial) place high priority on international education partnerships. Education provides an important bridge between countries and its people, especially the youth. This is extremely important for developing collaborative thinking and knowledge on global issues requiring broad-based thinking, which is the hallmark of a liberal, interdisciplinary approach. There is much we can do to realise the broader goals of international exchange by involving other stakeholders.”
Liberal education in the 21st century is necessary for success in a global economy, for social harmony and active citizenship. It is no longer limited to a few subjects, but to a whole new way of learning which defies boundaries to create holistic understanding.