Source: This post Decolonizing the Obsession with Foreign Degrees based on article “US reduces student visas: You don’t need to be obsessed with foreign degrees” published in Indian express on 13th December 2024.
UPSC Syllabus topic: GS Paper 2 – Issues relating to Development and Management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
Context: The article shows the dependence of Indian students on Euro-American universities, considering it a reflection of diminished self-confidence in Indian academic institutions. Over 1.33 million Indian students study abroad, compared to only 46,878 foreign students in Indian universities, highlighting this one-sided exchange.
What does the reliance on foreign institutions show?
- The obsession with foreign universities damages the self-worth of Indian academic institutions.
- It reflects a colonized mindset, with many aspiring to foreign degrees instead of strengthening local academic infrastructure.
What are the issues with Indian universities that contribute to this trend?
- Degradation of Institutions: Institutions like Rabindranath Tagore’s Santiniketan and Jawaharlal Nehru University have faced setbacks due to local politics, poor administration, and lack of funding.
- Lack of Academic Freedom: Insufficient funds, lack of academic freedom, and poor pedagogic environments deter quality education and research.
How does the hierarchy of civilizations affect Indian academia?
- Colonial-era hierarchies perpetuated by thinkers like Thomas Babington Macaulay continue to dominate Indian academia.
- Many subaltern scholars who advocate for marginalized communities settle abroad in elite academic institutions, further deepening the asymmetry.
What examples highlight academic inequality between Indian and Western institutions?
- Leading professors from Western universities like Harvard or Cambridge rarely engage with Indian institutions.
- Indian academics and students primarily aim to enhance their CVs by studying or publishing abroad, reinforcing inequalities.
- Preference for PhDs from foreign universities in Indian faculty recruitment demoralizes those working locally.
What changes can be made to address this imbalance?
- Symmetrical Dialogue: Encourage mutual exchange of ideas between Indian and Western institutions.
- Strengthen Local Academia: Create high-quality Indian journals, provide better funding for education, and improve academic culture.
- Promote Confidence: Indian students and professors should take pride in pursuing and contributing to local institutions like Delhi School of Economics or Jadavpur University.
What is a cosmopolitan academic culture?
- A genuinely educated individual embraces global perspectives while maintaining local roots.
- For example, Indian students should study both Ashis Nandy and Zygmunt Bauman, Kalidas and Shakespeare, with equal appreciation.
