Research sojourn
Developing human capital for a new Asia by Lily Kong
H
uman capital is a complex concept. It is most often used by economists and politicians when discussing competitive advantage in a knowledge based economy. Governments say they need lots of it; companies say they can’t recruit enough of it; and management consultants say you can’t succeed without it. What is the state of human capital in a rising Asia? In terms of numbers, there is no lack in Asia. After all, we are the most populous region on earth and here are perhaps some of the hardest-working people in the world. In terms of quality, it would not have been possible for Asia to have produced four “Tiger” economies, several other “NICs”, two of the “BRICs”, and Japan if there had not been human capital appropriate to the efforts. So if the numbers and a successful track record of achievement exist, what is missing now? Developing human capital for a new Asia requires a radical departure from past practices. We may have the most populous region in the world, but we still have lingering factionalism due to linguistic, religious or ethnic intolerance, indifference and even ignorance. And while we may also have some of the hardest-working people in the world in this region, we also have some stifling social hierarchies, disparities in access to opportunities, and, many posit, a creativity deficit. For many parts of our region to make the spectacular economic achievements they have only to be undercut by social intolerance and indifference would be most unfortunate. For the many post-war economic achievements of our region to now be stymied—worse still, decline— because of an inability to respond to the needs of a new knowledge economy would be a lost opportunity. For people who have shown resilience and ingenuity to lose the competitive edge
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in a knowledge economy would suggest, inter alia, deficient human capital development efforts. To help sustain Asia’s development—economic, but also cultural, political and social— we need future generations of regional leaders and citizens who are able to navigate complexity, exploit interconnectedness, and offer new ideas, creations and solutions. In Asia, there is growing interest in and acknowledgement of the value of liberal arts education. From China to South Korea to Hong Kong to India to Japan, there are myriad expressions, explorations and experimentations with this educational concept. It is taking shape in a bold and prominent project in Singapore in the form of the Yale-NUS College. Yale-NUS College aims to offer students just the kind of learning and education that will make the leaders and citizens that a new Asia needs. It requires and inculcates breadth and depth in individuals—the graduates will be able to appreciate in equal parts, religion alongside rhetoric, music alongside mathematics, business alongside biology, politics alongside poetry. A student who studies a spectrum of disciplines—social, natural and physical sciences, mathematics, arts and humanities—will be better able to understand and accommodate the differences across our region’s many different religions and cultures; the same student will be trained in scientific inquiry and rigorous debate to help formulate independent opinions and make better decisions for themselves and, more importantly, for others. On a day to day basis, the region is in need of liberal arts teaching and learning because we need more social, business and political leaders to respond effectively and sensitively to their community, customers and constituencies; we need scientists who are broad thinkers and understand
the humanistic and societal applications of their research; and we need artists and critics who appreciate the full range of human expression and emotions. When the first students arrive at Yale-NUS College in mid-2013, the educational experience they may expect will represent a departure from that which is common in many parts of Asia. The invitation will be insistent: to think broadly, question fundamentally, analyse rigorously, debate thoroughly, imagine creatively. The opportunities will be novel: the deliberate integration of living and learning; the purposeful teaching and learning of Western and Asian civilisations, cultures, economies, and politics in comparative and contextual perspectives; the conscious exploration of the intersections and interstices between disciplines; the intentional dovetailing of curriculum and co-curriculum; the enthusiastic involvement of students in global experience and experiential learning. Ultimately, leaders in Kent Ridge (Singapore) and New Haven (Connecticut, USA) aspire to create a novel model of residential liberal arts education, one based on the strongest elements of the American liberal arts tradition but contextualised to a rapidly advancing Asia in the 21st century. The efforts to bring to fruition this exciting educational endeavour will ultimately help a new Asia develop its new leaders and citizens. Lily Kong is a Professor of Geography and the Vice-President (University and Global Relations) at the National University of Singapore. She is currently also the Acting Executive Vice-President (Academic Affairs) at Yale-NUS College. She can be reached at lilykong@nus.edu.sg