Passion: the Cornerstone of Education
“Education has really changed. It used to be more focused. Now students want to work. Part of the learning process is experiential. We do a lot of project work, emphasizing practice. Part of what they learn is through this practice. A large part of the learning experience is also international experience” said Professor Clive Barstow, Dean, School of Arts and Humanities, Edith Cowan University, speaking about the evolution of education and the changing needs of students.
“My intuition is that social sciences, psychology as well as the creative industries will be in high demand in Sri Lanka” Prof. Barstow said, taking his vast global experience into account. He stated that as Sri Lanka develops rapidly, that the creative culture is essential to balance engineering and other areas.
Commitment due to Passion
“Students are at university, selecting subjects related to Arts, because they have passion” said Prof. Barstow.
Prof. Barstow who is a practicing artist and writer, explained that the students in his school are different to the students who select any other subject. “They have made the choice, and have committed to learning, even though they know that there is no guarantee that they will get employment or not. Ironically though, the job market is huge!” Prof. Barstow stated.
Due to the passion and enthusiasm of the students, it was said that teaching them is a pleasure and the methodology used, differs to that when teaching any other field of study.
The Role for Sri Lanka
“My intuition is that social sciences, psychology as well as the creative industries will be in high demand in Sri Lanka” Prof. Barstow said, taking his vast global experience into account. He stated that as Sri Lanka develops rapidly, that the creative culture is essential to balance engineering and other areas.
Prof. Barstow stated that what is essential is the crossover between creativity and communication. “You can design things, but you need to know how to sell them” he reiterated.
With globalization, it was stated that what happens to the local arts and culture can be at stake. Prof. Barstow explained that an unbalanced society will get rid of local culture, and therefore, it is essential that investment is made to balance society.
Meeting the Needs of the Future
“We can’t assume that we will work where we live, or live where we work. For instance, the mining industry brings a lot of money to West Australia. But as that fails, people look for options. Tourism is one of such options. However Tourism is closely related to culture. With tourism, the need for art museums, performances, and other cultural attractions, increase” he said.
“What is unique is that we are preparing students for jobs that are not invented yet” Prof. Barstow stated.
The Value of Arts
“Arts are not about just building a theater and performing or entertaining on a Friday Night!.”
Prof. Barstow explained that society often undervalues Arts and gives it a second place. “It is about communication” he however.
“In 10 years, when we develop robots to do our work, what will be left?” he questioned. “It will only be the creative jobs!” he said.
Prof. Barstow said that the car industry is a classic case of such development. While the car manu- facturing process is almost entirely mechanical, the design of such cars can never be mechanical. The role of the designer can never be replaced by a robot, and thereby becomes invaluable in a rapidly developing world.
“Within 50 years, there will be less employment for humans. Then the question will arise on what we are going to do with our free time. We will then have to look at the creative areas that we always wanted to do, but never had the time for” Prof. Barstow said in conclusion,