2003:5 R

Core Curriculum - an educational journey

The National Agency´s study reveals that this liberal studies workshop, or core curriculum course as it is called, functions well in its context and is a popular concept with the students. It clearly fulfi ls its primary objective, which is to ensure that the students understand the importance of respecting and caring about other individuals, democratic principles and the rule of law.

Interviews with students on the programme in commercial law have also made it clear that they themselves consider that the contents and organisation of the course present them with an intellectual challenge and extend the programme in economics and law to embrace aspects of history, philosophy, political science and government. The liberal studies element also gives students greater empathic capacity, hones their ability to perceive historical processes and deepens their understanding of other cultural, religious, economic and political groupings in the world around them. The students also state that the course stimulates their desire and ability to refl ect on various social phenomena and to analyse them critically and challenge them. In addition their ability to express themselves in speech and writing develops.

Some very rare comments that have come to light during the evaluation are that a few students felt that they lacked time for refl ection and reading, that the examinations lacked meaningfulness and some also felt a sense of inferiority that found expression, for instance, in an unwillingness to participate in discussions during the seminars. However these comments do not take away the general positive attitude of the twelve interviewed students.

What the core curriculum course means in concrete terms for students on the commercial law programme is that they have to read and discuss around 120 additional books and texts that in various ways refl ect the core content of the workshops as mentioned above: the importance of respect for individuals, democracy and the rule of law. The students are also offered the opportunity to participate in a number of seminars led by Leif Alsheimer, t he creator and driving force behind the concept. There is also a written examination each term where students express their views on the issues linked to the liberal studies theme. The core curriculum is an obligatory course, although no university creditpoints are awarded for participation . The students interviewed see nothing wrong in requiring the course, as they believe it provides them with insights and abilities that will enrich both their private lives and their future professional activities. They also believe that it would be diffi cult to arrange on their own initiative the kind of “liberal education" provided by the course.

The National Agency´s description and evaluation of this course is based mainly on interviews with students and discussions with Leif Alsheimer. Evaluative descriptions of the premises on which the course is based, the realization process and its results are interwoven in the text with illustrative quotations from the interviews. In addition to an evaluative description of the liberal studies workshops, the report also contains an introduction written by the University Chancellor, Sigbrit Franke, and Karin Agélii, project manager, a presentation of the background to this study, its purpose and organisation, as well as a section introducing the concept of liberal studies. The report concludes with a section in which future developments are discussed.