ECOLAS supports the 1st European Liberal Education Student Conference

Students of Studium Individuale from Leuphana University of Lüneburg and Liberal Arts and Sciences from University College Freiburg host the 1^st European Liberal Education Student Conference (1^st LESC) taking place May 12^th – 15^th in Lüneburg. Issues such as the future sustainablitity of universities, the contemporary importance of higher education, broad academic studies, personal development, and the ability to act responsibly will be broached. Self-responsible organisation of studies and an academic confrontation of current societal questions constitute the educational approach of a contemporary Liberal Education.

Many universities have introduced undergraduate programmes of the Liberal Arts and Sciences in the last years. The organisers of the 1^st LESC now intend to investigate what the young row of European Liberal Education Colleges stands for. Does it correct undersirable developments after the Bologna reform? Or does it solely aim at preparing their students for life and work in globalised societies and labour markets?

Supported by ECOLAS financial grant, ca. 80 students and experts from all over Europe are going to gather in Lüneburg for four days in order to discuss these questions. Speakers will include Hans Adriaansens (ECOLAS Executive Board member). The Conference is held in English and was organised by and for students of the Liberal Arts and Sciences and shall thus also serve for a self-positioning: Which answer does Liberal Education present to the crisis of European Higher Education?

You are cordially invited to take part in the conference and visit e.g. one of the following events:
May 14^th, 6:30-8:30pm: Panel discussion “Liberal education: The way forward?” Jürgen Kaube (Publisher Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung), Katharina Dermühl (Kiron Higher Education for Refugees), Hans Adriaansens (ECOLAS, Founder of University College Utrecht and “Initiator” of the European Liberal Education movement) and Megha Harish (Student at King’s College London) debate the status quo after 15 years of Liberal Education in Europe. Volker Balli, academic director of the Individual Studies programme at Leuphana University will be moderating this highlight of an extraordinary conference.

Venue: Museum Lüneburg.

May 13^th, 6:30-7:30pm: “Green Metaphysics: Sustainable liberal arts education”, Nigel Tubbs (Dean University of Winchester, England)

Venue: Lecture Hall 4, Leuphana University of Lüneburg.

May 12^th, 6:30-7:30pm: “Liberal Arts as Teaching Reflective Judgment: Economic, Democratic and Personal Implications”,Teun Dekker (Dean University College Maastricht, Niederlande)

Venue: Museum Lüneburg.

For more information visit: https://1stlesc.wordpress.com and https://www.facebook.com/1stlesc