"If you monetise the value of a degree, will you undertake an MPhil in mediaeval French poetry? You might undertake a law course which extends [your knowledge of] libel or whatever – because actually there's direct value in that postgraduate education which will translate into your career."
Dans cette interview, le vice-chancelier de l'université de Cambridge, Leszek Borysiewicz, dit que l'on ne peut se passer, à tout point de vue, des lettres et des sciences humaines. Ces disciplines requièrent d'une part des compétences égales à celles développées dans le domaine des sciences. Que serait un monde sans celles-là, d'autre part ?
""We talk about the science method. Actually there's a method in learning a language which is quite distinctive, and taking that away, that generic skill is huge. The way historians consider evidence, or the balance of evidence, or an archaeologist will consider evidence, is quite distinctive. For the broad-based university we must have all of those areas if we're going to address some of the global challenges."
The arts and humanities also enrich people's lives, he said. "Medical science can make us live to 90. If you haven't got the arts and humanities what's the point of living until 90?""
Source : The Guardian, 19/10/11