by Abby Jackson

Harvey Mudd College, a tiny liberal-arts school in Claremont, California, is an engineering, science, and mathematics powerhouse. In fact, its graduates outearn those from Harvard and Stanford about 10 years into their careers. But in addition to its reputation for producing strong graduates in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math), HMC also produces students — sometimes known as Mudders — who embrace the arts. The school, which enrolls about 800 students, not only encourages but demands that Mudders graduate with a strong liberal-arts background, taking just as many courses in the humanities as they must in core introductory courses in the sciences.

HMC describes its core curriculum as "an academic boot camp in the STEM disciplines — math, physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, and engineering — as well as classes in writing and critical inquiry" that it says "gives students a broad scientific foundation and the skills to think and to solve problems across disciplines." The approach closely mirrors advice from some experts on how schools can develop students able to compete with automation, which has become an increasingly disruptive force in the labor market.

Self-driving cars, for example, threaten the job security of millions of American truck drivers, and automated financial advisers are replacing humans at wealth-management firms. "Absolutely I think there's value in some level of understanding computer science," Shon Burton, the CEO of HiringSolved, previously told Business Insider. HMC describes its core curriculum as an academic boot camp. Harvey Mudd College/Facebook Burton, whose company uses artificial intelligence to make job recruiting more efficient, said students must embrace the humanities to become critical thinkers who improvise in ways that robots cannot. At HMC, the computer-science program is so strong that elite STEM-focused schools have taken note.

by YaLibnan.com

Free Patriotic Movement criticized the Lebanese Forces over its latest proposal for privatizing the electricity sector during the cabinet meeting that was supposed to discuss the budget at the Grand Serail. Ever since Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea endorsed FPM founder Michel Aoun’s presidential candidacy the relations between the 2 parties ran very smoothly

But on Wednesday Energy Minister Cesar Abi Khalil who represents president Aoun in the cabinet criticized LF for its proposal. Geagea has recently proposed that private companies should build and operate power plants in a partnership with the state in the electricity sector, describing it as a necessary reform that should be included in the state budget. Education Minister Marwan Hamadeh of the Progressive Socialist Party voiced support for the LF’s proposal in this regard, but Justice Minister Salim Jreissati who also represents Aoun in the cabinet rejected linking the state budget to the electricity plan stressing they are “two separate things.” Abi Khalil meanwhile told reporters sarcastically that he is “preparing a health plan,” in an apparent jab at the LF, which holds the health portfolio in the government. Flanked by Abi Khalil after the session, Health Minister Ghassan Hasbani tried to play down the differences with FPM by saying : “We’re both in good health and we always cooperate.”