Universities in Crisis: Un blog international sur la crise de l'Université

[ dossier Education is not for sale/Bildungsstreik ]

Un blog international sur la crise de l'Université:

Michael Burawoy, professeur à Université de Californie à Berkeley et vice-président de l'Association Internationale de Sociologie en charge de la coordination internationale, vient de lancer un blog participatif sur les “crises des systèmes universitaires à travers le monde”. [Source: Agora]

http://isacna.wordpress.com/

The CNA (Council of National (Sociological) Associations) has representation from 57 countries. It is one branch of the ISA (International Sociological Association), the other branch being the Research Council with delegates from the 55 Research Committees. At its last four-yearly conference in Taipei (March 23-25, 2009), the CNA discussed the challenges of building a global sociology in an unequal world, especially those emanating from the privatization of research and government auditing of universities. You can view a short film of the conference as well as the papers delivered. This blog takes the project forward by developing an account of the specific challenges faced by universities around the world. If you want to post a contribution, dealing with your own university, wherever you may be, then send it to Michael Burawoy <burawoy@berkeley.edu> ISA Vice President for National Associations. Or you can contribute directly with your own comments on someone else's post. To meet threats to higher education, particlarly the social sciences, now occurring everywhere — albeit in different permutations – we need to build global communities of concerned academics. That's what we are trying to do through the ISA/CNA network connecting sociologists from all corners of the planet.

• Categories: Brazil ,Bulgaria ,France ,Global Solidarity ,India ,Japan ,Mexico ,New Zealand ,Nigeria ,Poland ,South Africa ,Sri Lanka ,Turkey ,United Kingdom ,United States
• Archives: January 2010, December 2009

• Recent Posts:

Inequality and Decline: Neoliberal Reform of Sri Lankan Universities

The Multiple Crises of French Universities[1]

Police States and Academic Freedom

European Influence in India

Global Solidarity to Defend Higher Education

Nigerian Universities in Crisis

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Siri Hettige, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka

To understand the decline of public universities in Siri Lanka we need to take an historical and economic perspective. The first western style university was established in 1942, a few years prior to political independence from the British rule. Until then, university education was confined to a few who could afford to travel to England to pursue higher studies at British universities. Though more local students could follow university courses locally following the establishment of the first national university, the high cost of education limited the number of students enrolled. However, following the granting of limited self rule in 1931, national leaders took some progressive policy measures in several areas including education. One such decision was to introduce universal free education from primary school to university level from the mid 1940's onwards. The result was a steady expansion of the country's education system. Certain policy decisions taken by successive governments after independence led to a further expansion of university education from the late 1950's onwards. These included the change of medium of instruction in secondary schools and universities from English to local languages and the conversion of two traditional Buddhist educational institutions into two new universities. These decisions taken under the influence of a rising Sinhala-Buddhist nationalist movement had far reaching consequences. …READ MORE

By Bruno Cousin and Michèle Lamont, Harvard University

Between February and June 2009, French universities were the theatre of an exceptional protest movement against the latest flavour of governmental reform concerning academic careers. Protest sometimes seems to be a way of life in the French academy, and in France at large, but this time the situation is serious, with potentially huge consequences for the future of the sector. Indeed, the nation that gave birth to je pense, donc je suis is in a deep crisis on the intellectual front, and nowhere is this as obvious as in academic evaluation.

The protest movement did not take off in the grandes écoles (which train much of the French elite), or in professional and technical schools. Instead, it took off in the 80 comprehensive universités – the public institutions that are the backbone of the French educational system. Until two years ago, they were required to admit any high-school graduate on a first-come, first-served basis. A selection process was recently introduced, but even today most students are there because they could not gain entry elsewhere. Faculty work conditions are generally poor, as their institutions are chronically underfunded. Classes are large and programmes are understaffed. More than half of all students leave without any kind of diploma. …READ MORE

By Ujjwal Kumar Singh and Nandini Sundar, University of Delhi

As social scientists, our research involves field interactions with people, sometimes in conflict situations. Given the importance of relevance and timeliness in our respective disciplines – sociology and political science – we often study issues which deal with politics, and from perspectives which may not be agreeable to the authorities. At all times, however, we strive for objectivity and independence in our research. It can be no-one's case that such research should not be done in the social sciences, and that only security think tanks and journalists should have access to conflict areas. Genuine research cannot come out of being embedded with any side. Indeed, the government must positively welcome such independent research by social scientists, because it can provide an alternative view to what is available from other sources.

However, despite the government's new emphasis on higher education and ‘world class research' it remains confined to a security mindset, where only certain types of people can do research and only on certain subjects, or from perspectives the government approves of. National security and national honour are routinely invoked to stymie the most harmless work, especially when it comes to hapless foreign scholars. …READ MORE

From Sharit K. Bhowmik, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai

This is a statement concerning the setting up of the European Studies Centre at the Department of Sociology, University of Delhi, the inauguration of which is set to take place on the 28th of January in the Department (http://www.iescp.org/index.php/events). Since the idea behind this statement is to initiate a public debate, we request you to circulate it as widely as possible. It is authored by faculty at the Department of Sociology, University of Delhi.

1.The Department of Sociology (DoS) at the University of Delhi has received a grant of 300,000 Euros (approximately 2 crores of rupees) from the European Union for a two year period, to set up a European Study Centre. The issue of setting up of a European Study Centre was never discussed and debated in the Department of Sociology's Staff Council, and the group responsible for initiating it informed the faculty only after their proposal was accepted by the EU. This is completely unprecedented in the functioning of the Department.

2.This application makes, ostensibly in the name of the DoS, promises that the EU study centre will redesign the existing sociology syllabi of the MA and M. Phil programs at DoS in consultation with European participants. It also commits itself to framing new syllabi, and teaching them within an interdisciplinary framework, all with European advice. …READ MORE

Read the latest on cuts around the world at the Education Solidarity Network

Cuts and the threat of privatisation loom large in the latest postings from education unions around the world on the Education Solidarity Network blogsite, used by 15 education unions worldwide. You can read the latest here, including a call by 23 unions for a change of direction following student protests in Germany and Austria and an appeal for help from the Latvian higher education union. Click here for all the latest from around the world

By Abdul-Mumin Sa'ad, University of Maiduguri

There are a myriad of problems in Nigerian Public Universities, which, if nothing is done, will lead to their disintegration. Here are some of the challenges we are facing in Nigeria – challenges that the authorities are making no concerted effort to tackle.

Faculty-Student Ratio. The first serious problem is the enormous student population, served by all too few faculty (academic staff). The National Universities Commission (NUC), a body regulating academic standards for universities, calls for a maximum of faculty-student ration of 1:40, but most universities in Nigeria have at least 1:100 faculty-student ratio. In humanities and social sciences courses, classes with at least 400 students are common place.

Low Quality of Faculty. The faculty-student ration is exacerbated by the poor qualification of faculty. The majority of faculty in most departments do not have doctorate degrees, which is contrary to the NUC requirement that at least 50% of the faculty should have doctorate degrees. What is more, it is not uncommon to find faculties with only first degrees handling the most advanced (400 level) courses on their own, while they are supposed to be only graduate assistants to senior faculty. Prospects for such graduate assistants and those with masters degrees to further their education are very dim due to poor or near absence of funding for personnel development. For those faculty with doctorate degrees, climbing to senior positions such as Senior Lecturer, Reader/Associate Professor and Professor is a herculean task due to the absence of research grants and funds to present papers at even national conferences. Thus, the principle of “publish or perish” in Nigerian universities is not a function of intellectual capacity per se but that of economic misfortune. …READ MORE

etc.