Riding the digital wave

The 'unified personality'

According to Qin, the definition of liberal arts education is often misunderstood. Some people mistakenly see liberal arts education as general education, which aims to provide students with a well-rounded understanding of various disciplines, while liberal arts education's focus is on fostering a "unified personality", nurturing humans who possess responsibility, a sense of purpose and independent world views.

The term "liberal arts" often leads people to associate it solely with humanities subjects. However, liberal arts education encompasses both arts and sciences, with strong emphasis on interdisciplinary learning, thus fostering well-rounded students with both literary and rational capabilities, says Qin.

In the realm of liberal arts and quality education, Lingnan has achieved notable recognition. It joined the Global Liberal Arts Alliance in 2012 and was named by US business magazine Forbes as one of the "Top 10 Liberal Arts Colleges in Asia" in 2015. In 2023, it ranked second globally for "quality education" in that year's Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.

In the modern era, the definition of liberal arts education must evolve to align with the times, Qin says. The advancements made in digitalization and AI have not only led to a technological revolution, but also sparked a cognitive transformation. While past technological breakthroughs, such as the invention of rockets, may have seemed distant to the general public, the digital breakaway has affected every aspect of people's lives.

Recognizing these changes, Lingnan aims to be a liberal arts institution that can thrive in the digital space. Last year, the university began providing students with free access to ChatGPT and equipped its staff with Microsoft AI tools like Copilot to automate office tools. Concurrently, the institution has made generative AI a compulsory subject for first-year students starting from the 2024/25 academic year.

Students should learn to harness AI, a revolutionary tool that can greatly improve work efficiency and life quality, from its early development stage, says Qin. While the use of AI in education has sparked controversies, including concerns about misuse, cheating and plagiarism, he sees these challenges as reasons why AI should be integrated into the education system. "As to how to use AI appropriately and comprehend the ethical considerations, the answers lie in the process of using it," he says. This process of discovery itself is exactly an indispensable part of education, not only for students but also for educators.

The initial output generated by AI models is often of low quality and cannot be used directly, requiring students to interact multiple times with AI to obtain the desired content. Through this iterative process, students can sharpen their skills in tool usage, innovation and critical thinking. These higher levels of thinking and cognitive abilities are the focus of teaching in the future. By honing these skills, students can unleash their full potential as human beings rather than competing with machines, Qin says.

There are also certain courses at Lingnan, such as morality and ethics, personal judgment and value systems that restrict the use of AI. Building up a student's world views should rely on a more traditional and classical manner. Hence, nowadays, the university's teaching process encompasses two parts - the utilization and non-utilization of AI tools, which presents a more complex task for teachers.

Schools and teachers should welcome this challenge, says Qin. "Education should equip students with the skills they will need rather than outdated knowledge from decades ago."