I was recently reading Yuval Noah Harrari’s Sapiens, which navigates through the ups and downs and long haul of human history, in a very succinct and readable manner no less. I saw some explanations as to why in the world the US and the UK first jumped to the top of the higher education pyramid—imperialism.

 From imperial days, the British empire's colonial strategy was not about fast wins and making a quick buck. No, they played the long game. Wherever they colonized, they brought scholars across all disciplines—geologists, zoologists, and experts to study the cultures in the land in the flora and fauna. In India, the British conducted a 60-year study, tracing the origin of extinct Indian languages, looking up rare Indian spiders, etc. As a result, they could understand not just India, but the world, and science better.

I’m not condoning imperial history or methods of colonization which were by many measures horrific. But these historical realities shed light on how the UK, fostered a global knowledge-seeking culture that fueled innovations and scientific discoveries. This propelled an isolated island nation forward, despite its own lack of resources.

What does this have to do with today? In the rush for students to “get to market” with their degrees—looking for something ‘practical’ and ‘employable’, there is risk that you can cut yourself short. Knowledge is power, in all forms. If the British Empire had taken a narrow approach to knowledge-seeking back then, what would they have missed out on? Scientific discoveries and fostering a learning culture create a virtuous cycle and a positive learning environment. If you’re a school or community—are you funding and supporting intellectual exploration of all kinds? As a student—what’s your version of the exotic spider that you’re exploring?