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Hi Ali,
Thank you for raising such a critical and timely question. Your instinct to move beyond traditional internship models and toward more deeply integrated, project-based approaches is spot on. This is a challenge many institutions are grappling with, and it's central to demonstrating the profound value of a humanities education in the 21st century.
One of the most powerful and scalable models I've seen emerge to address this is the "Humanities Lab." In essence, a Humanities Lab is a credit-bearing, transdisciplinary course where student teams, guided by faculty, collaborate with an external community or industry partner to tackle a complex, real-world problem. Instead of sending students out to internships, this model brings the real-world challenge into the curriculum.
A fantastic example of this in practice is the Humanities Lab at Arizona State University. Their Labs are co-taught by faculty from different disciplines (e.g., history and biology), focus on pressing social challenges like sustainability or public health, and task students with creating tangible "impact outcomes"—such as white papers for a non-profit, public-facing data visualizations, or community-focused media campaigns. This model has proven to be highly scalable and impactful, involving students from first-year undergrads to PhDs.
The reason this model is so effective is that it's built on the robust pedagogical framework of Project-Based Learning (PBL). A large body of research, including recent meta-analyses, shows that PBL leads to significantly deeper learning and better development of critical thinking and collaboration skills compared to traditional instruction. The "project" becomes the curriculum, driving students to apply humanistic methods of inquiry to solve authentic problems.
You rightly pointed out the challenges of scaling and employer engagement. The most successful Lab models address this head-on. They secure stable, core funding from institutional leadership, which reframes the initiative as a strategic priority, not just a departmental experiment. Furthermore, by structuring the projects as a form of "consulting for the public good" or a "client-based practicum," they create a compelling value proposition for external partners, who gain access to university talent to help solve their own strategic challenges.
This approach transforms the conversation from "finding placements" to "co-creating knowledge," which is a far more exciting and sustainable proposition for everyone involved.
I'm curious to hear what others think. As we consider these Lab models, what are the most effective strategies for building the initial bridge between academic departments and external community/industry partners to co-design these projects?
Best,
Osama Ahmed |
