Princeton Commencement – Cultivating liberal arts education

It was June 5. As a parent, I attended the Commencement of the Princeton University. Shining through the thick tree leaves, the early summer sun painted the grass an array of colors richer than Van Gogh’s oil on canvas. The light wind brought in fresh air that was purified by the heavy rain from the previous night. The whole campus was filled with festivity. At every corner, you can see young men and women on black gowns with orange stripes, with different colored hoods to symbolize their schools and degrees (bachelors, masters, doctors). Laughter, hand-shakes and hugs; farewells, congras and best wishes; speeches, performances and parties; all these orchestrated a symphony of accomplishments and happiness – a major milestone of their young lives have been achieved. Friends and families were busy taking photos with a great sense of pride that their loved ones are ready to walk out of one of the most prestigious colleges on earth...

The Commencement Ceremony was held in the front lawn of Nassau Hall. There were elegant speeches by the salutatorian, the valedictorian, etc. The awarding of degrees to undergraduate and graduate students was heart-warming. Of the six people who were conferred with honorary doctor’s degree, I was particular drawn to Aretha Franklin, a black singer who was considered the "Queen of Soul". This is an exceptionally accomplished woman whose repertoire includes soul, jazz, rock, blues, pop and gospel. During the civil rights movement, her soul music inspired a new generation to pursue freedom and equality. She sang at the funeral of Martin Luther King Jr., a close friend of her father, in 1968, as well as multiple inaugural events for Presidents Jimmy Carter (1977), Bill Clinton (1993), and Barack Obama (2009). Her honors include National Medal of Arts, 21 Grammy Awards, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom from George W. Bush. Rolling Stone magazine named her No. 1 on its list of "The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time." The only tie that I may have with her was that I attended her jazz concert in Strathmore Music Center in Rockville, MD in February, 2011. I was also happy to see that my friend John Diekman presented Franklin for the conferral of the Honorary Doctor of Music degree at Princeton University.

Of course, the most memorable thing for me was the commencement speech by the Princeton University President, Sherry Tilghman. An accomplished molecular biologist, a visionary scientific leader and an inspirational educator, Dr. Tilghman is someone that I have had great respect and admiration. Her philosophy of education has great resonance in my view of how to bring about my own children and our next generation, education reform in China, and even way of life. In her speech, she championed Princeton’s stand for a liberal arts education in today's difficult economic climate, and criticized a recent trend of “goal-oriented” education promoted by leaders like Florida's Governor Rick Scott and former Harvard University President Larry Summers. Tighlman told a great story of James Madison, a Princeton graduate and one of the founding father of the United States, to make her point:

“James Madison arrived at Princeton in the fall of 1769 from his home in Virginia, … immersed himself in Latin and Greek, philosophy, natural science, geography, mathematics, and rhetoric, and actively participated in debate... After completing all his requirements in just two years, he found himself at a loss as to what to do next... So, adopting that time-honored tradition of all Princeton students — procrastination — he persuaded President John Witherspoon to allow him to stay on for a year and continue his studies in Hebrew and political philosophy, thereby becoming Princeton's first, if unofficial, graduate student. At the end of that year, still not knowing what he wanted to do, he journeyed.. and lived with his parents for another four years…

“Eventually, he found his calling — he embraced the patriot cause and became a leader in the crusade to found a free and independent nation. He went on to author a number of the most important documents that guide our nation to this day… My favorite story about Madison involves George Washington's first inaugural address in 1789. Washington rejected the 73-page draft prepared by a friend and turned instead to Madison to write the one that he eventually delivered to a joint session of Congress. The speech was such a great success that Congress decided it needed to respond. They asked Madison to draft the response. Washington was so touched by their response that he felt a need to send a thank you note, and, sure enough, you guessed it — he asked Madison to draft it. So these key early exchanges between President and Congress were really Madison talking to Madison in public!

Tilghman argued that the liberal arts education that Madison received at Princeton prepared him as a visionary thinker, a persuasive speaker and a great writer. “His studies with Witherspoon gave him the opportunity to grapple with the ideas on which this nation was founded, ideas stretching from ancient Greece to the Scottish enlightenment; they disciplined his ability to marshal and then defend a well-constructed argument; deepened his moral sensibility; and they honed his writing and speaking skills, all of which were critical to his success in public life.”

Of course, a liberal education is not the only valuable form of education. The diversity in educational systems will meet various needs of the society. However, Tilghman emphasized that for the United States to be successful in the 21st century, leading universities need to train leaders who are steeped in history, literature, languages, culture, as well as scientific and technological ideas. “They need to be curious about the world, broadly well-informed, independent of mind, and able to understand and sympathize…”. 

I couldn’t help but think about China’s high education while I was listening Tilghman’s speech. In today’s atmosphere of seeking quick success and instant benefits, the universities are under increasing pressure to produce “useful” people for the market today. Students (and their parents) are only interested in majors that could lead to jobs immediately, preferably with high incomes. The current college curricula specialize too early and too narrowly, and produce well-trained technocrats but not innovators or leaders. To sustain the economic growth and to become truly modernized country, there is an urgent need to reform our educational system to train the next generation intellectuals in China. Many universities in China have now set an ambitious goal to become a “world class” university. With that in mind, our college education should not be designed to prepare the students for a specific job or even a single career. We need a well-balanced education to promote innovation, independent thinking and the ability to work across disciplinary boundaries. The world is changing rapidly. Our students need to develop capability to learn new things, to adapt to the changing world, and to take on new challenges. Our high education should not only teach specialized skills and capabilities, but also help students discover their true passion and interests, and build their characters. Our universities should inspire new thinking, and lead the society.