Must read: Why humanities matter in life

Feras Hamza, Associate Professor in International Studies, Arts and Humanities, University of Wollongong Dubai

As colleges in the UAE commence their autumn session, Associate Professor in International Studies, Arts and Humanities at the University of Wollongong (UOWD), Feras Hamza tells us why is it important to study human culture and how it adds meaning to your life as well as the life of others. Feras tells us why he thinks the programme is 'everything you need to understand this world better today.'
What is the importance of studying humanities in today's times?
I would like to call myself a historian of the Middle East. And the course I teach, International Studies (humanities) basically tries to understand the nature of contemporary society, given the very important and unprecedented processes in history. These processes are firstly, the speed and nature of communication today and secondly the speed and flow of people. These two processes - mass movement of people and information - make these times quite a challenging period in human history to understand and document and critically analyse.
Why do you call humanities, the future of civilisation and why is it important? What it means in the context of the UAE?
Humanities, the subject, matters more than ever now because of the complexity and nature of our way of living in contemporary times. The whole exercise of empathy doesn't come naturally but is a key human characteristic.
We are the only species that can empathise. We have the ability to imagine ourselves in others shoes and this is absolutely important to solve some of the key humanitarian issues. It is fundamental for thinking about the world, the environment and everything under the sun.
The UAE is a perfect example of multiculturalism with more than 200 nationalities coexisting here. This country is very interesting and a successful experiment in that sense. Most residents are of the view that it is important for people to interact with others from different cultures and backgrounds.
In today's tech-savvy world, most students want to take up specialised jobs like doctors, engineers with a good pay scale. What would humanities related jobs be like and would they pay well?
Most people think in terms of only getting jobs, but think of it this way. Studying humanities will make you world-wise.
Life is not just about making money. Who you are and who you want to be are more important questions. Realising your potential and what you can do for others in society, what you leave behind as your legacy, how you change and transform peoples lives, how you can help them better understand themselves are some priceless answers that the humanities subject answers. It will not only make your life more meaningful but also add value to the lives of others.
Most of the time people like to take up these tech-savvy, "important" jobs. But it's also true that we tend to lead lives in an unreflective way. But we need the kind of reflection that comes with training in the humanities. It helps to see through the superficial. To see why is this certain activity taking place. Think about it.
Knowing history, literature is knowing our story as human beings. How we have evolved from the past. You read about the societies of the past and hence you can decide what kind of society you'd like to have in the future. So it's a kind of measure of what we've done, where we're going, what we are doing.
saman@khaleejtimes.com