As countries and economies become more interconnected, education should focus on helping students to acquire skillsets that will help them succeed in the global society rather than just emphasizing grades, according to Angel Cabrera, president of George Mason University.

He noted the importance of liberal arts model of education that exceeds beyond just studying and taking exams, during a news conference Friday at the Incheon Global Campus in Songdo International City, home of the university’s Korean branch Songdo campus.

“It’s a model that sees a university not just as a place to acquire knowledge, but also as a place to grow as a person. It should develop intellectual curiosity, how to think critically, develop self-confidence and make an argument, to lead and collaborate with others,” he said. “These are the skills that, in the end, that make someone really successful.”

In a bid to do so, the university conducts its classes in a way that requires students to think creatively and view the world in a broader spectrum,” he said. Students are expected not just to answer questions, but to analyze cases, write reports and engage in debates.

Lessons themselves, he said, are constructed in a way that challenge students to take various approaches when solving problems.

Cabrera took an example of the conflict analysis and resolution class, which George Mason is planning to soon add to its programs at the Songdo campus. “It is a multi-disciplinary program that was created by bringing together sociology, anthropology, psychology, economics and policy,” he explained.

The directive of this approach is to foster leaders who can work “effectively on a global scale” with people who are different from themselves. Understanding the dynamics of different cultures and valuing the interaction with different people is more important than just piling up knowledge and getting top school grades, Cabrera said.

“In Korea, as in many other countries, there is a lot of pressure to go to top universities. Some people think if you don’t, it’s the end of the world,” he said. “But it is not the end of the world, and in fact may even end up being good for you. You get a chance to do something different, something unique that will set you apart in a very competitive society.”

George Mason University Korea, the domestic campus of the Virginia-based university, opened in March with 76 students. It was the second foreign university to nest in IGC after State University of New York.

At Friday’s news conference, George Mason University said it is adding the new global affairs program next year to its management and economics program. The school aims to enroll 190 students for next year.

Joy Hughes, president and provost of George Mason Korea, said students from Korea and different countries in the Southeast Asia have taken part in lessons provided at Songdo campus. She added that its entire curriculum and faculty at George Mason Korea are same as those in its U.S. counterpart.

School officials are working to introduce programs like game design, system engineering, public policy, conflict analysis and resolution to the Korean campus in the near future, according to Hughes.

By Yoon Min-sik (minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)