In this essay for Cultural Connections Volume 9, Dr Venka Purushothaman, Deputy President & Provost, LASALLE College of the Arts, considers the complex transformations of culture around the world as humanity confronts artificial intelligence, demographic changes and a need for a new social contract.
Dr Venka argues for the need to universities to consider the future of the classroom, how we can expand learning opportunities to embrace lifelong learning, and why higher education needs to focus on soft skills.
“In this vein, LASALLE College of the Arts has been a beacon of innovation in creative education for over four decades. Recognising early on an underdeveloped creative sector, in 1993, it launched Singapore's first fine arts degree in Singapore in partnership with Australia’s world-ranked RMIT University. Subsequently customising and offering its unique brand of fine arts undergraduate and postgraduate programmes from 2003, it has produced world-leading artists such as Amanda Heng, Zai Kuning, Vincent Leow, Suzanne Victor and Shubigi Rao, several of whom have gone on to complete PhD studies in art," writes Dr Venka.
Read the full essay here.
Cultural Connections is a publication of the Culture Academy of the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth.
Image: Design workshop at LASALLE Open House 2024
