SRM University AP, Amaravati announces the School of liberal Arts and Basic Sciences (SlABS), a step towards multidisciplinary approach to the programme
SlABS will be SRM Amaravati’s home for fundamental research, where free and critical study will be pursued across disciplines, finding solutions to the world’s most challenging problems and daunting issues. It will have its first intake of students in 2018 and will offer BA, BBA, BCom and BSc programmes across 12 departments — Economics, English, History, Journalism, Psychology, Business Studies, Commerce, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology and Computer Science.
Said Dr P Sathyanarayanan, President SRM Amaravati, “Today, we face increasingly complex issues and challenges, and tackling these, calls for multi-dimensional thought processes and problem solving skills. Thus, a need for education to focus on developing skills through liberal arts and basic sciences. For this, we are looking at hands-on guidance from Professor Nicholas Dirks, given his background as a renowned anthropologist, and his rich experience in liberal Arts.
In-class discussions, field trips, presentations, movies and hands-on assignments are some of the ways in which students are exposed to multiple facets of an issue and encouraged to explore. This multidisciplinary approach of a liberal arts programme and the interactive manner in which classes are conducted will develop in students a spirit of inquiry, analytical capabilities as well as verbal and written communication skills, thereby making them work-place ready.
“SRM SlABS also has a strong faculty base of international caliber, who will bring a global perspective to liberal arts education. They will assist in creating a holistic approach to education, which will become, we hope, the calling card for SRM Amaravati’s SlABS.”
Professor Nicholas Dirks, Honorary Pro Chancellor added, “As we launch SlABS, we are working to ensure that our undergraduate students will be the full beneficiaries of the best set of undergraduate experiences available anywhere, in the larger context of building a leading research university with aspirations to become world-class in every possible sense. In our program, students will learn the skills of critical thinking and knowledge creation in a range of fields.”