Are those with ‘Arts Degrees’
useless thinkers?
By Bernard Bwoni
“You
ask these arts students what they can solve and they tell you, ‘for us we only
think.’ Think about what?” he asked. "It is unfortunate that many
universities continue teaching very useless courses at degree level rendering
their graduates jobless after graduation," he added. These were the widely chastised
words from Ugandan President, Mr Yoweri Museveni as he denounced humanity
courses at universities as useless, saying graduates from such departments can
hardly solve anything to steer national development. Whilst Mr Museveni’s faith
in sciences and technical subjects is understandable, is there any place for
the arts and humanities in Africa’s quest to join the ranks of the new emerging
economies of this world?
The future definitely looks bleak for the
African continent should strategic components of nations continue to be manned
by incompetent and under-qualified personnel who cannot solve problems. There
is a need for honesty that people with technical backgrounds tend to be
problem-solvers, highly logical and broad thinkers who tend to think outside
the box as opposed to those with arts backgrounds. But then is problem-solving
synonymous with competency? The continent does possess practical
problem-solvers who are doers and not cheap-talkers yet they are overshadowed
by the ‘educated thinkers’. This is not to suggest that people with arts
backgrounds are all mouth with no practical outlook. However a technical
approach is not just a better option but a necessity for African countries to
realise their full developmental potential. Strategic sectors of the country
should be manned by ‘’experts’’ in the fields of their respective ministries
not career politicians. Of course there would be counter arguments that
government and governing are social constructs that serve social functions and
the technical fields may be inevitably related to government but they are not
inherently related to government. But the question still remains, why is the
continent still stagnant even with its rich history, abundant resources,
extraordinary manpower? The lack or side-lining of problem-solvers to make way
for some self-appointed elites and its off-springs makes for a strong argument.
The ability to understand a situation and
deal with it correctly does not have anything to do with popularity but with
knowledge of the subject period. Mr
Museveni brings to the forefront an important argument that people with
technical backgrounds have the ability to rise above career and party politics
and stay focused on problem-solving. They have more of a reputational advantage
both in terms of knowledge and technical expertise. That of course can be up
for debate but the problem-solving argument still holds water. Those with arts
backgrounds tend to focus more on the thinking and talking rather than the
doing. But is that such a bad thing? The thing with people with technical
backgrounds is that they can practically claim wiser economic and technical stewardship,
greater ideological commitment to economic principles and deeper connections
with transnational financial networks. The economy is the driving power of any
nation and academic and practical awareness of economics is a prerequisite for
those intending to be in positions of economic influence. Economics is a
discipline above others for its all encompassing nature and the fact that it is
intricately linked to the political function of the state. One would be
forgiven for feeling uncomfortable with someone who has not studied economics
to make heavy economic decisions that will greatly impact the country for
decades to come. As such voters need to have a greater awareness of the
education and background of the politicians and take that into account in the
political arguments and standpoints. But again one can also argue that is why
there are advisors.
A seamless fusion of the polity and expert
components in any national set-up will enhance economic progress. An Economist
will have that eye to see exactly the required fiscal adjustments but deciding
how and where to cut spending or taxes will require precise political sense. A
political functionary who can make good moral decisions with the public’s
interest whilst also having an awareness and ability to comprehend different
expert opinions and paradigms is crucial to the country’s economic revival. The
country’s leadership might need to be more conversant and appreciative enough
to consult with technocrats to help make good decisions and at the same time be
well-versed in the humanities and social sciences to consider those aspects of
society in governance. It is important that leadership is driven by ethos and a
genuine desire to do things right and to do the right thing while considering
long-term solutions. This means removing from power those politicians who only
value self-benefit over the public good.
Is it possible to exclude facts from political
decision-making process? People yearn for a clever, practical problem-solvers
and in some countries where people with technical backgrounds have been thrust
in the forefront of strategic sectors there has been a marked rise in the
standard of living of a people from a third world to a first world in the case
of Singapore and China. China’s Politburo Standing Committee eight out of the
nine members are engineers and also the current Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has
degrees in Economics and Law, a healthy academic combination for governance of
function. The Chinese government has a lot of engineers, scientists, economists
and mathematicians in the political fold especially at Politburo level instead
of useless arty politicians who do more talking than function effectively. It
is easy to chide Museveni’s comments but he does bring to the forefront an
interesting take on the African situation.
Bernard Bwoni can be contacted at bernardbwoni.blogspot.com
No comments:
Post a Comment