IITs embracing liberal arts will help in dismantling academic silos

Shift towards interdisciplinary education is critical in equipping students to navigate global challenges, and make meaningful contributions, writes Prof Dishan Kamdar

The higher education ecosystem in India is witnessing several changes in recent years. As the world evolves and transforms with the rapid advancements in technology and, more recently, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) must keep up with the changes.
A recent development is that most Indian HEIs, including the engineering and technology institutions, are pivoting towards the interdisciplinary approach to education and launching new programmes. Many of the IITs are introducing liberal arts programmes into their programme portfolio. These changes are a necessary development that meets India's higher education goals under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and international educational standards.

According to the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2025 Future of Jobs Report, the most sought-after abilities worldwide are emotional intelligence, creativity, systems thinking, and analytical thinking. Liberal arts education incorporates these very fundamental skills.

NEP 2020 aligns with the vision of a future in which engineering students will learn about ethics and the arts, and humanities students will learn about AI and environmental science, which will lead to dismantlment of academic silos. The IITs embracing liberal arts in their curriculum is a significant step in achieving this objective. 

While the IITs and other technical institutions foray into liberal arts, they point to a new paradigm in which disciplinary lines are blurred in the interest of greater creativity and understanding. However, commitment to faculty training, curriculum reform, institutional transparency, and, most importantly, a cultural change will also be necessary. 

Technological know-how alone cannot address important issues, such as public health, AI ethics, and climate change. It will necessitate approaching these global issues from a variety of disciplinary angles and must be based on empathy, historical background, moral reasoning, and critical thinking.

The future belongs to those leaders who can think creatively, act morally, and lead with imagination. As we develop a new generation of learners, the aim should be to produce designers who comprehend business, marketers who understand psychology, economists who engage with Big Data, and citizens who serve a purpose. 

Interdisciplinary education is critical in equipping students to lead with purpose, navigate global challenges, and make meaningful contributions to the evolving world. India, which is expected to have the largest working-age population in the world, must train its graduates to thrive in a rapidly changing global environment.

Author: Prof. Dishan Kamdar, Vice-Chancellor, FLAME University.