Applied thinking

Altogether 15 majors, including applied mathematics and computation, materials science and engineering, global health and global China studies, have been on offer. And by the time the inaugural class of students declare their intentions, it is expected that there will be 20 majors.

Simon said that one of the reasons that they encourage liberal arts programs is to provide students with a mindset that will help them adjust to changes in the new era.

"We aim to empower students with critical thinking and problem solving abilities, become entrepreneurial and to take risks. All of these skills will allow them to be successful in any location and under any circumstances, no matter where the world is going," Simon said.

He noted that the notion of going to school for four years and gaining a skillset that lasts for 30 years is now obsolete, and people should instead embrace the idea of becoming lifelong learners.

"Our minds always need to be open to the reality that the world around us is going to change - and that change will be the only constant," he said.

For example, Simon said, the field of life sciences is changing dramatically, particularly because artificial intelligence is being applied to life sciences, in which big data and data science have become significantly important to understanding where biological trends are going and how to use biological knowledge.