KARACHI, March 14: Regretting deterioration in the local education system Dr Syed Nomanul Haq of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Pennsylvania University-USA recommended an integrated approach - offering all students an equal opportunity to learn liberal arts and sciences.

Replying to the queries raised by the Aga Khan University Hospital’s physicians and students here on Tuesday, the scholar said that liberal arts had to be an integral part of education.

Dr Haq said that this was, however, largely overlooked in the local context and best of minds were being denied to benefit from a combination of languages, literature, history, sociology, science and technology.

“Best of our minds are going, for instance in information technology but the fact that learning Islamic Studies and other components of the liberal arts could have significantly added to their intellectual capacities is but being ignored,” he commented.

Later talking to journalists he further elaborated his stance mentioning that scientific development was not possible in an intellectual vacuum and that history, philosophy were the prerequisite for scientific development.

Referring to rampant approach in the country, Dr Haq said technological development may lead to economic development but not scientific development which sought capabilities and capacities among students to test knowledge.

In his presentation “The contemporary relevance of Razi: the science of medicine and liberal arts”, he focussed on the fact that history was not merely an inconsistent variable from the past but had to do with the present as well as future.

Abu Bakr Mohammad Ibn-i-Zakaraia Razi’s contribution to medicine is so great that fresh editions of his books are being frequently printed in the developed parts of the world reflecting their relevance to the present era.

Dr Marcia A. Grant, Planning Head of AKU-faculty of Arts and Science speaking on the occasion said that the lecture by Dr Syed Nomanul Haq was the first in a series of occasional lectures in the Arts and Sciences being sponsored by the faculty of Arts and Sciences.

She mentioned that there were two teams working to create the faculty of Arts and Sciences adding that physical project for the campus, which would be built on 1,000 acres on a site 55 km northeast of Karachi.

Prof Syed H.M. Jafri, Chair, Islamic and Pakistan Studies, AKU offered vote of thanks.—APP