Denver Tang, Pennsylvania State University
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Although broad learning in the humanities, social sciences, and arts is considered an important strength of American engineers, the idea of educating engineers in the liberal arts has also gained traction in other countries. Since the mid-1990s, the Chinese government launched a national movement to enhance college students’ cultural qualities. Motivated by the governmental initiative, universities and colleges in China have established a variety of programs to enrich science and engineering education with the teaching of humanities, social sciences, and arts.
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This talk introduces the background and objectives of promoting liberal arts in China’s higher education. It then takes a close look at the programs of liberal arts education at two of China’s top engineering universities: Tsinghua University and Beijing Institute of Technology. Both universities have sought to educate well-rounded technical professionals through curricular development, institutional innovation, and extracurricular activities that transcend disciplinary boundaries. After reviewing the institutional and pedagogical strategies that are used at Tsinghua University and Beijing Institute of Technology to promote the liberal arts, the talk concludes with a comparison of the visions and strategies of liberal arts education for engineers in China and the U.S. The author suggests that a cross-national conversation among educators in engineering and the liberal arts will generate helpful insights and intellectual resources for educating holistic engineers and preparing them for addressing global challenges.