GoKawiilStudents restore relics as part of their course at a technical college in China.Credit: Li Yalong/China News Service/VCG via Getty
A narrative has taken hold that science and the humanities are at odds. In universities around the world, investment in cutting-edge technologies often comes at the expense of retrenchment in philosophy, history, literature and the arts. Contraction of the humanities is presented as an unavoidable cost of modernization. But that ‘zero sum’ logic is flawed. As science and technology race ahead, the world needs humanities research to understand the reasons and implications.
My experience at ShanghaiTech University in China tells this story. Since its founding in 2013, the university has invested heavily in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). And it has built the Institute of Humanities as a core academic unit.
The power that a liberal-arts education can have in a science-oriented institution is embedded in ShanghaiTech’s vision. Jiang Mianheng, the former and founding president of ShanghaiTech, has argued that a technological university must move beyond narrow career preparation and cultivate well-rounded people (M. Jiang Daedalus 153, 98–105; 2024). Higher education should not just develop students’ technical skills but also foster judgement, creativity, ethical awareness and character.
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Today, the Institute of Humanities comprises more than 30 scholars working across philosophy, history, religious studies, and Chinese and English languages and cultures. Many members hold degrees from leading international institutions and about a dozen are international scholars who do not speak a Chinese language as their first language. One visitor described creating this vibrant environment from scratch in such a short period of time as nothing short of heroic.
In the first few months of assuming my role as deputy dean of the institute in September 2025, I surprised myself at how much my colleagues and I achieved. By November, we had hosted two conferences and nine public lectures, and organized a campus-wide humanities festival. Speakers came from Armenia, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, and even included a former official of the United Nations.
Why do humanities scholars at ShanghaiTech work with such intensity? One answer is the pressure that comes with operating alongside colleagues in STEM fields. In a research university that is oriented towards science and technology, humanities researchers cannot rely on the inherited prestige of their disciplines. Making research visible, engaging and relevant is essential — and can generate fresh ideas and collaborations.
From this perspective, the humanities are not a supplement to, but a foundational component of, undergraduate education, especially in a technology-driven institution. And universities and governments must recognize this.
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