"Yale University expresses concern over cancellation of Yale-NUS course on dissent
SINGAPORE - Yale University has expressed concern over the cancellation of a programme by Yale-NUS College that was meant to introduce students to various modes of dissent and organising resistance, adding that such an action might threaten the values of academic freedom and open inquiry.
In a statement early Sunday (Sept 15), Yale President Peter Salovey said he has asked Professor Pericles Lewis, Yale's Vice-President and Vice-Provost for Global Strategy, and the founding president of Yale-NUS, to conduct fact-finding to better understand the reasons for the decision.
In response, a Yale-NUS spokesman said that its president, Professor Tan Tai Yong, and Professor Salovey had communicated on the issue once the College made the decision to withdraw the course from this year's Learning Across Boundaries (LAB) programme.
Prof Tan Tai Yong had told The Straits Times for an earlier story that Yale-NUS found, after a review, that the course did not critically engage with the range of perspectives required for a proper academic examination of the issues around dissent. The proposed activities also did not align with the LAB's concept and learning objectives approved by the curriculum committee.
He noted that the activities and speakers proposed would have infringed on the university's commitment not to advance partisan political interests on its campus, and may have subjected students to the risk of breaking the law.
An online write-up of an early version of the programme that is no longer accessible had proposed activities that included film screenings and dialogues.
Some of these were a panel discussion with freelance journalist Kirsten Han, veteran journalist P.N. Balji and historian Thum Ping Tjin, and a demonstration of forum theatre techniques by drama company Drama Box.
Yale-NUS College was founded by Yale University and NUS in 2011."
Yale-NUS College was born fr a very difficult pregnancy! There were vehement discussions n debates on if a self-crowned "totally free academic institution" can possibly stay true to it's own high std of ethical n morally "correct behaviours in a social democratic regime or authoritarian Sgp"!
The optimists then, won. N Yale-NUS was delivered!
So far so good that it has avoided the controversy THIS EPISODE threw up!
Good to know it is a CCA type of program "designed" by a local playwright who is not a properly trained academian.
He may hv good intention to expose the young students to thinking differently. At the same time, given the situation in Hkg SAR, it is reasonable for the NUS authority to examine the contents n activities to eliminate any untoward materials.
The truly liberals will not accept anyway! So, just soldiers on! Live life like there is no tomorrow!
SINGAPORE - Yale University has expressed concern over the cancellation of a programme by Yale-NUS College that was meant to introduce students to various modes of dissent and organising resistance, adding that such an action might threaten the values of academic freedom and open inquiry.
In a statement early Sunday (Sept 15), Yale President Peter Salovey said he has asked Professor Pericles Lewis, Yale's Vice-President and Vice-Provost for Global Strategy, and the founding president of Yale-NUS, to conduct fact-finding to better understand the reasons for the decision.
In response, a Yale-NUS spokesman said that its president, Professor Tan Tai Yong, and Professor Salovey had communicated on the issue once the College made the decision to withdraw the course from this year's Learning Across Boundaries (LAB) programme.
Prof Tan Tai Yong had told The Straits Times for an earlier story that Yale-NUS found, after a review, that the course did not critically engage with the range of perspectives required for a proper academic examination of the issues around dissent. The proposed activities also did not align with the LAB's concept and learning objectives approved by the curriculum committee.
He noted that the activities and speakers proposed would have infringed on the university's commitment not to advance partisan political interests on its campus, and may have subjected students to the risk of breaking the law.
An online write-up of an early version of the programme that is no longer accessible had proposed activities that included film screenings and dialogues.
Some of these were a panel discussion with freelance journalist Kirsten Han, veteran journalist P.N. Balji and historian Thum Ping Tjin, and a demonstration of forum theatre techniques by drama company Drama Box.
Yale-NUS College was founded by Yale University and NUS in 2011."
Yale-NUS College was born fr a very difficult pregnancy! There were vehement discussions n debates on if a self-crowned "totally free academic institution" can possibly stay true to it's own high std of ethical n morally "correct behaviours in a social democratic regime or authoritarian Sgp"!
The optimists then, won. N Yale-NUS was delivered!
So far so good that it has avoided the controversy THIS EPISODE threw up!
Good to know it is a CCA type of program "designed" by a local playwright who is not a properly trained academian.
He may hv good intention to expose the young students to thinking differently. At the same time, given the situation in Hkg SAR, it is reasonable for the NUS authority to examine the contents n activities to eliminate any untoward materials.
The truly liberals will not accept anyway! So, just soldiers on! Live life like there is no tomorrow!
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