There’s nothing artificial about Huron University’s big-picture focus

While Artificial Intelligence may be in the zeitgeist today, Dr. Barry Craig, president of Huron University, has heard this song before. His institution’s focus on Leadership with Heart — and understanding the responsibilities students have on society — may run counter to the current, but it’s blazing a trail that’s leading to success.
“We’ve been through these kinds of cycles in the past where there’s an exciting new technology that will change the world,” Craig explained. “[AI] is a tool developed by human beings to make tasks easier and speed them up. But we have a responsibility, especially as educators, to make sure there are moral and ethical safeguards.”
Those safeguards need to take into consideration AI’s inherent limitations. Today’s AI solutions do not create but compiles and analyzes existing information. It doesn’t have a brain, can’t think, and lacks basic human understanding.
“They produce answers based on patterns without comprehending the underlying concepts. Common sense, reasoning, context — these are aspects of being human that will remain foreign to generative AI,” explained Patrick Gavin, MA, MLIS, Teaching and Learning Librarian at Huron.
That’s where the advantage of a Huron University liberal arts education has an edge. Students are empowered with knowledge and perspectives that help them view these emerging technologies through the appropriate lens — and understand their risks and rewards.
“Liberal arts gives you a breadth of perspectives — qualitative and quantitative — including subjects like history, philosophy, and arts,” Craig said. “You look at things at a macro and micro level, learn to make things more understandable, and how to interpret trends — geopolitical and social. You get a new set of lenses that you can swap to view things differently.”
Huron, the founding institution of Western University and located in London Ontario, has been at the forefront of academic innovation since 1863 with progressive programs and a unique student experience.
“The kind of education we offer at Huron looks at the big picture. How can students contribute in a meaningful way to society? The question we have to ask — does this help society and can we control it and steer it in the way we want? That’s the type of education we provide.”
It’s a philosophy that’s resonating with today’s students Craig explained, adding applications and enrolment this fall are up — a 200 per cent increase over six years. It’s a number that’s unmatched in any university or program in Canada. This emphasizes the importance and need for a liberal arts education.
As for the applications of AI, it is but one of the conversation pieces happening at schools all over the world and it serves as an opportunity to highlight why Huron approaches education the way it does.
“What is a human-centred approach to education? Why is it essential? How do we actually create it and structure society around it to ensure that we take advantage of the results?” Gavin said. “What I’ve found valuable at Huron are the conversations we’ve had around education and assessment — a focused engagement on what we think is important for our students to learn and how do we best ensure and assess that?
The path less taken is leading down a pathway to success. All Huron University students receive guaranteed paid internship opportunities and Huron students join an alumni network that includes CEOs and senior leaders at the largest and most influential organizations across Canada and globally. That’s not a fluke, as hiring managers crave students with empathy, wholistic perspectives and global contexts that a liberal arts education provides.
“We must remember progressive leaders often come from places that nurtures their interests and challenges their understanding of society,” Craig said. “When you look at Fortune 500 CEOs, the single most common undergraduate degree is a liberal arts degree.”
To learn more about what it means to Lead with Heart and Huron University’s unique academic approach, please visit huronu.ca.