Connecticut College AI and the Liberal Arts Symposium: Full Schedule

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1:30pm EDT

What Should Students Learn? Navigating the Paradox of AI in Liberal Arts Education

Friday October 16, 2026 1:30pm - 1:40pm EDT

What should students learn when the skills cultivated through higher education increasingly intersect with technologies capable of performing some of those same tasks? Students find themselves at the center of a paradox. Liberal arts institutions continue to emphasize critical thinking, communication, writing, ethical reasoning, creativity, and problem-solving, while employers increasingly seek graduates who can work effectively with AI.Drawing on conversations with over fifty Amherst College students during planning for a student-led AI Summit, this presentation explores how students are making sense of these expectations. Many recognize AI as important yet remain uncertain about what AI literacy and fluency mean in practice, as well as how AI should be integrated into learning.Rather than resolving the paradox of AI, this presentation explores how liberal arts education can use this moment to rethink learning for a future in which human and artificial intelligence work together to communicate, collaborate, and create effectively.

Speakers

Javkhlan Batsaikhan

Student, Amherst College

I’m Javkhlan Batsaikhan; please call me Jay. I’m an undergraduate student studying Psychology and Education Studies at Amherst College, with interests in AI, higher education, student learning, and the future of work. At the symposium, I’ll present “What Should Students Learn... Read More →

Friday October 16, 2026 1:30pm - 1:40pm EDT
Shain Library Chu Room (First floor)

Lightning, AI, the Liberal Arts, and the Future of Work

Company Amherst College

Connecticut College AI and the Liberal Arts Symposium

1:30pm EDT

Javkhlan Batsaikhan

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