NEW EDUCATION: The Global Center for Advanced Studies w/ Creston Davis
Nov 18, 2021
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Creston Davis, Ph.D., is the founder and director of the Global Center for Advanced Studies and Chancellor of GCAS College Dublin. He discusses the innovative, blockchain-modeled education system designed to alleviate student debt and enhance faculty well-being. The conversation highlights the need for decentralized, cooperative educational structures and the importance of promoting critical thought. Davis contrasts knowledge and wisdom, emphasizing the role of mindfulness and community in cultivating true learning, while also touching on the challenges faced in today's academic landscape.
The Global Center for Advanced Studies employs a cooperative learning model that transforms students into active participants by converting tuition into ownership shares.
GCAS integrates blockchain technology to alleviate student debt, empowering students to engage in their education without the financial burden typically associated with higher learning.
The podcast emphasizes the importance of fostering diverse perspectives in the classroom to enhance critical thinking and promote a richer educational dialogue.
Deep dives
Education as a Multifaceted Issue
The podcast discusses the complexities of education, emphasizing its various dimensions, such as institutional training for youth and self-cultivation for individuals. The need for a transformative educational model arises from the high debt incurred by students, which hampers their economic freedom and well-being. Critics argue that traditional education often fails to adequately prepare graduates for meaningful employment, leading to a disillusioned generation burdened by financial constraints. Alternative educational approaches, particularly those utilizing decentralized technologies, are presented as potential solutions to these systemic problems.
The Global Center for Advanced Studies Model
The Global Center for Advanced Studies (GCAS) employs a unique educational model aimed at alleviating student debt by converting tuition into ownership shares. This creates a cooperative learning environment where students are not just passive recipients of knowledge but active participants and stakeholders in their educational journey. The GCAS focuses on providing a diverse and inclusive atmosphere that fosters collaborative learning across cultural and economic backgrounds. Such an approach transforms the educational experience, promoting a richer dialogue and deeper understanding among students from varied perspectives.
Innovations in Educational Financing
GCAS challenges the traditional education financing structure by integrating disruptive technologies, such as blockchain, into its framework. This includes offering students the opportunity to earn tokens through participation in various activities, which can then be utilized to cover educational costs. By doing so, the institute empowers students to engage in their learning without the burden of financial pressure. The model also aims to serve students from underprivileged backgrounds who may lack access to conventional funding sources.
The Importance of Diverse Perspectives
The podcast highlights the significance of having a diverse range of voices in the classroom, enriching the educational dialogue. By inviting students from different socio-economic backgrounds and geographic locations, GCAS aims to foster a learning environment that challenges conventional Western narratives. This diversity allows students to approach shared texts, such as literature, from unique vantage points, resulting in a more dynamic and thought-provoking exploration of ideas. Ultimately, this plurality enhances critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills among the student body.
Navigating Political Ideologies in Education
The podcast examines the inherent political tensions within educational institutions and the risks of ideological indoctrination. GCAS seeks to cultivate an environment where students can engage with various political and philosophical perspectives without being confined to a single narrative. The emphasis on critical thinking empowers students to question dominant ideologies and explore the complexities of social, economic, and political systems. This approach fosters a community where diverse opinions are respected, encouraging rich discussions and promoting a broader understanding of contemporary issues.
Layman is joined by Creston Davis, Ph.D., to discuss his innovate, blockchain-modeled higher education project, The Global Center for Advanced Studies (GCAS). They discuss the genesis and intentions for the project; the problems of the debt-strapping of so many students, and the overwork of faculty, under our current system; the promise of P2P, decentralized approaches to education going forward; the nature of truly liberative education, and the need for the promotion of post-ideological, critical thought; the potential promise and problems of the Austin University project; the difference between knowledge and wisdom, and possible approaches to the cultivation of wisdom in higher education; and much more.
DISCLAIMER: Regarding Creston’s statement at 3:21 that his students reported to him their frustrations with having so much student debt while being underemployed. this is not to be taken as all of Rollins’ graduates but only the ones that talked to Creston about this situation. In other words, this statement does not reflect graduates of Rollins but only the graduates that spoke about their frustrations with Creston. Creston Davis, (Ph.D. University of Virginia, MTS Duke University) is the founder and director of The Global Center for Advanced Studies (GCAS) and the Chancellor and CEO of GCAS College Dublin. Creston was promoted to Associate Professor at Rollins College (2012) and has published books with The MIT Press, Columbia and Duke University Press. He is the creator of and co-edits the Insurrections: Critical Studies in Religion, Politics and Culture series, an academic book series published by Columbia University Press. He currently researches future consciousness, sustainability, and advanced technologies.