Education in the 21st Century: Looking Beyond University

by Asha Gupta

Whereas the impact of globalization on politics, economy, society and culture are well-studied and well-researched, it is difficult to visualize and conceptualize the changes occurring at the power knowledge realm. The book is an attempt to look beyond the traditional concept of a university to be able to grasp not only the drastic changes taking place at higher education systems worldwide but it also traces the causes and consequences of the same. Earlier the universities acted as the handmaids of the nation state but today they are required to promote global ethos transcending cultural and linguistic differences beyond the nation state. Today the focus is more on outputs, performances and public accountability rather than on inputs, academic freedom and solidarity. The author delves deeper into the very idea of university, latest trends, issues at stake, rise of private and non-state stakeholders, role of technology, emphasis on vocational skills, status of higher education in India, etc. She makes a precaution against some of the underpinnings behind the de-contextualization moves by the economic and political hegemony in the name of higher education reforms.

About the Author:

Asha Gupta, Director at the Directorate of Hindi Medium Implementation, University of Delhi, has been a former principal of Bharati College. She has been a recipient of a gold medal, two silver medals, National Merit Scholarship, Shastri Indo-Canadian, Norwegian and Friedrich Ebert Sifting Research Fellowship. She is a political economist by training with keen interests in research on higher education in India and abroad. Dr. Gupta has been a UGC Career Awardees in Humanities and the Convener of IPSA RC 44 on Military Rule and Democratization. She has been associated with many national and international bodies, such as, International Studies Association and World Federation of Mental Health. Her books include: Beyond Privatization: A Global Perspective; Changing Perspectives of the Welfare State: the Issue of Privatization; Towards Privatization: Lessons From The UK, East Germany and India; Socialism in Theory and Practice: Narendra Deva's Contribution; Military Rule and Democratization (edited) and Private Higher Education: Global Trends and Indian Perspectives (co-edited). She is a PROPHE Affiliate and Salzburg Seminar alumni.