How Ashoka University is doubling down on liberal arts and research

Ashoka University, a young but influential institution, is celebrating a decade since its inception. While it pioneered the modern liberal arts education model in India, the university has also evolved into a research hub. To discuss this journey and the vision for the next decade, we sat down with Prof Somak Raychaudhury, the vice-chancellor of Ashoka University.

Liberal arts edge

Prof Raychaudhury was quick to point out that the liberal arts model, which allows students to liberally sample various subjects, is far from new, tracing its origins back a century to institutions like Harvard and Chicago. Ashoka, however, remains a pioneer in the Indian context, maintaining a distinct edge.

“Unlike most other liberal arts universities set up in the last decade, at Ashoka, the incoming cohor