Sharjah, Thursday, October 28, 2010: Renowned American academic Dr. Marcia Grant delivered an engaging lecture yesterday, October 26, on the experience of setting up liberal arts institutions in the Middle East and Pakistan. The lecture, entitled, "Does a liberal arts education travel," focused on her fascinating experience of setting up Effat University, the first liberal arts college for women in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Dr. Grant is currently visiting AUS for a week as the CIC Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow.
Dr. Grant explored the various aspects of what constitutes a liberal arts education and how it offers students a chance to develop their own self-educating and leadership skills. She also spoke on how the liberal arts model is being adapted in various parts of the world, focusing on her experience in bringing it to Saudi Arabia and to Pakistan. She is currently based in Lahore, Pakistan, where she is involved in the re-structuring of the curriculum at the well-known Forman Christian College (FCC).
"I am delighted to see the programs and facilities you have on offer here at AUS," she said. "There is a vision here, and that is vital for the success of a good educational institution," she added. She praised the accomplishments of AUS and said that the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qassimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, seemed visible and instrumental in the success achieved by the university thus far.
The lecture drew a large audience that included Dr. Peter Heath, Chancellor of AUS; Dr. Thomas Hochstettler, Provost; as well as other senior university officials; faculty members; students and members of the media.
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© Press Release 2010
