Hi there!

May has arrived and with it, the sun is shining in Eindhoven. However, the weather is in-between; it's too chilly for t-shirts, but too warm for jackets. I'm looking forward to warmer weather, so I don't have to carry a jacket in my arms. Before we dive into our topic for today lets pause for our weekly inventory check ..

Weekly Inventory Check:

New month, new wishes! I always encourage you to write down your aspirations for the month and review the previous one. To give you an example, here's what my goals for May 2023 look like:

1. Prepare for the Data Science Course starting on May 28th.

2. Consolidate my finances. I have several different accounts and credit card statements, and I need to bring them all together since I'm unsure where my money is going.

3. Divide my days into four quarters - morning, afternoon, evening, and night - and build my routine around them.

Foundations of Learning

This week, I had a meeting with a university to discuss how they could improve their approach to data and become more data-driven. The conversation was interesting, but it took an even more interesting turn when they asked me if I had any questions for them. I asked what their goal was as a university and what the reason was for faculty to teach. They provided multiple answers, but the one that caught my eye was that they aim to prepare their students to be lifelong learners. This prompted me to question how a university can prepare students to become lifelong learners.

I come from the Eastern part of the world, where the declining enrollment numbers in universities in the West is baffling. In my part of the world, people would do anything to get affordable education that sets them up for life. We often say in Pakistan that if you study, you will become successful. I believe that the informal grooming that you receive in university is just as important as the formal education that you receive.

However, people in the West do not seem to value education as much as they used to. They feel that it is not worth the investment of time and effort since they can start earning right away by enrolling in hands-on jobs like construction. This begs the question: why is education losing its allure?

However, people in the West do not seem to value education as much as they used to. They feel that it is not worth the investment of time and effort since they can start earning right away by enrolling in hands-on jobs like construction. This begs the question: why is education losing its allure?

The easy answer to why education is losing its allure is that not many jobs pay well to educated people compared to those who do hands-on work, due to simple supply and demand. However, I believe that we are losing more than just students of education. Education is meant to prepare individuals for a lifetime of learning, regardless of the domain. This is the flaw in the current concept of education. The fundamentals are wrong. We are not teaching people how to think; instead, we are simply feeding them large amounts of information that is readily available online. Education is about learning how to learn, rather than just what can be learned in the classroom.

What is missing in the current world of education is the understanding of why we educate in the first place. We are too focused on teaching the latest trends in business, AI, IT, and marketing, and we forget to provide students with the tools to upskill themselves for the rest of their lives. While trends will continue to emerge, the foundations of learning such as critical thinking, analytical reasoning, communication skills, and active listening are timeless and will remain applicable even after machines take over our jobs.

These foundations of learning should not only apply to those interested in desk jobs and academia but should also be part of the high school curriculum for hands-on workers.

What are your thoughts on the foundations of learning? Shoot me an email or comment below, would love to hear your thoughts!

Want More?

Have Universities forgotten their purpose?

Do Universities even matter?

I strongly believe that everyone should consider pursuing a minor in Philosophy, as it teaches individuals how to think critically and logically. 

Read of the Week

I keep returning to some of the books that were mentioned earlier because they have taught me how to think and have broadened my perspective. One such book that I highly recommend is "Rationality" by Steven Pinker. It serves as an excellent guide to critical thinking in today's world. I cannot recommend this book enough as it has provided me with a valuable set of skills for analyzing complex problems and evaluating arguments.

Thoughts to Leave you With

I believe equipping individuals with foundational learning skills, such as critical thinking, can help solve conflicts arising from questionable information and unwillingness to listen. Developing these skills can lead to a more informed and open-minded society capable of navigating the complexities of the modern world.