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American universities Quote by Charlie Munger

“There's a lot wrong [with American universities]. I'd remove 3/4 of the faculty - everything but the hard sciences. But nobody's going to do that, so we'll have to live with the defects. It's amazing how wrongheaded [the teaching is]. There is fatal disconnectedness. You have these squirrelly…” quote by Charlie Munger
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“There's a lot wrong [with American universities]. I'd remove 3/4 of the faculty - everything but the hard sciences. But nobody's going to do that, so we'll have to live with the defects. It's amazing how wrongheaded [the teaching is]. There is fatal disconnectedness. You have these squirrelly people in each department who don't see the big picture.”

Charlie Munger

About This Quote

Source Interview: CNBC, 2023

Critique of higher education emphasizing overstaffing and lack of focus on core sciences.

In simple terms: Universities have too many faculty outside hard sciences, causing inefficiency.

Key Takeaway

Consider reforms to prioritize essential disciplines.

Themes

education efficiency discipline policy faculty

Mood

critical skeptical

Type

analytical commentary

When to use this quote

  • university budgeting
  • curriculum planning
  • departmental restructuring

Key Concepts

institutional design resource allocation academic focus

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can universities balance breadth and depth?
  • What incentives could reduce faculty bloat?
A Different Perspective

Hard sciences alone cannot address all societal needs; interdisciplinary work remains vital.

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