Resist Imperialist Intervention in Higher Education !
Protest demonstration at the inauguration of the “European Studies Programme Centre”, Delhi University. Join the protest on Thursday, 28th January 2009 at the Department of Sociology, Delhi School of Economics at 9 A.M. Participating organisations: All-India Students Association, All-India Students Federation, Delhi University Reservation Executive Committee, Disha, Forum for Democratic Struggle, Janvadi Shikshak Manch, Krantikari Yuva Sanghatan, Left and Democratic Teachers’ Front, New Socialist Initiative, Progressive StudentsUnion, University Community. 26th January 2010. Resist Imperialist Intervention in Higher Education ! Fight the Entry of Foreign Funding and Conditionalities into University Departments !! DelhiUniversityhas witnessed several instances of fee hikes and privatisation measures. One of the recent instances is a plan to introduce European Union funding and, under EU diktats, substantially restructure the curriculum and orientation of the Department of Sociology of DU. A proposal to this effect was submitted to the European Commission by a section of the faculty of the Deptt of Sociology, DU – bypassing all the decision-making forums and flouting all norms of the university. In response to a call for proposals to establish European Study Centres, a section of the faculty of the Department of Sociology, with the support of the Vice-Chancellor, have submitted a proposal to the European Commission. The project proposal envisages that the Department will undertake studies of Europe, restructure the curriculum in consultation with the EU, and host faculty from European countries. The underlying agenda is to teach students exactly how to ‘view’ contemporary Europe. It is important to note that this is not an academic exchange programme.It is stated in the European Commission website that the purpose of setting up European Study Centres in India is to work towards the restructuring of curricula and teaching methods. Hence, these programmes are called ‘technical assistance for capacity building’!!! Education reforms in India are a priority area for the European Commission so as to enable it to build further connections and networks for strategic alliances in other areas. It is important to realize the real intentions behind such assistance – particularly for the social sciences.The EU is willing to consider such study centres in any of the mainline Social Science disciplines. Its technical assistance programme’s focus is on ensuring the impact of its financial investments in these centres by making sure that this is provided in a closely monitored fashion. When implementing projects, EuropeAid incorporates EU strategies and long-term programmes in the areas of its intervention. The “technical assistance” provided by the European Commission is essentially political in nature. EuroAid, the Technical Assistance organization funding the European Studies Programme, is part of the EU’s Foreign Policy organization. It is a serious matter of concern that a section of the faculty in the Sociology Department, designated as a Centre for Advanced Study in Sociology with a special grant from the UGC to conduct research in specific thrust areas, are determined to make European studies the main activity of the department. * The proposal requires the Department of Sociology to entirely shift their current focus of study in their MA and MPhil programmes from January 2010. * The assistance from the European Commission has been accepted by the University with attached conditionalities. As the project proposal indicates, the curriculum for teaching will have to be developed in consultation with the EU agencies. * The contractual obligation of seven years of confidentiality makes the ‘project’ highly suspect. It is highly condemnable that the act was undertaken in a clandestine fashion and the entire faculty was informed about it after the Head of the Department had already given an assurance (to the funders) of provisional approval for the ‘project.’ All the university norms were flouted. The Departmental Council and the Academic Council and Executive Council of the University were not consulted before the project proposal was submitted and the agreement was signed. Why should a programme for “academic exchange” be submitted in this underhand manner? The project proposal envisages that the target group will consist of the entire lot of the post graduate and research students of the department of sociology.The project is being sold to students in the name of tempting “short foreign trips” in the name of exposure to “cutting edge European thought”. We all know how the promises of such scholarships/foreign trip ‘opportunities’ are instruments of prize and punishment to divide the student community. Does a department of Sociology need exposure (through trips) to “cutting edge European thought”? Does it not, rather, need resources for student exposure to rural or tribal India to understand the burning issues facing India today? It is all the more disheartening to see that the project has been initiated by no less than those academics who are politically affiliated to a group that ritualistically mouths ‘opposition’ to neo-liberal and privatization policies.The University Administration, already hell-bent on pushing the neo-liberal agenda were therefore emboldened by this to collude in the flouting of decision-making norms in order to facilitate the project without any qualms. Unite And Fight the Backdoor Entry of Foreign Money Into Academics! Support the Struggle to Throw Out the European Study Centre from the Department of Sociology, University of Delhi!! All India Students’ Association(AISA) Jan.2010 Released by Ravi Rai for AISA Contact 9868661628 Dear Friend, 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. Professor Virginius Xaxa Professor Tulsi Patel Professor Abhijit Dasgupta Professor Nandini Sundar Dr Meena Radhakrishna Dr Anuja Agrawal Dr Sudha Vasan Faculty Members, Department of Sociology, University of Delhi European Studies Centre at the Department of Sociology: Some Concerns 1. The Department of Sociology (DoS) at the Universityof 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. 3. The application to EU states that ‘once a European Study Centre Programme is established in the Department of Sociology, it will be integrated into the regular syllabi and ongoing curriculum. There is scant likelihood of European studies being removed from our teaching schedule regardless of EU funding…’ And further, ‘with the programme as an integral part of the Departmental activities, continuity is inbuilt as the DoS will attract younger scholars and faculty with teaching and research interests in tandem with the goals of the programme.’ Setting up of the European Study Centre in the DoS in this manner and to this end amounts to a negation of the identity of this half a century old Department. 4. The focus of the proposed Centre, as set out in the application, is completely at variance with the UGC mandated thrust areas of the Centre for Advanced Study at this Department. According to the Guidelines for Grant applicants, ‘the scope of the Study Centres (in India) is delimited to focus exclusively on recent times (from the 20th century and onward), current state of affairs and expected developments in the EU’. There is not only little scope then for discussing the imperial history of some of these nations, but also the unequal power relationships between the nations constituting the EU is beyond its purview. ‘Location’ in terms of intellectual hegemony is perhaps more important than it ever was in Indian education. 5. The study of Europe and European works by individual faculty and students has always been and continues to be encouraged in the Department. Indeed, much existing sociological theory has a Eurocentric focus. A renewed focus on European studies would come at the expense of strengthening a comparative focus with other parts of the world, such as South America and Africa, which have much to contribute to the development of world sociology and anthropology. 6. The Department has a major role to play in Indian higher education and in furthering the discipline of sociology in India. This cannot be ensured if a large number of faculty and students are occupied with establishing the European studies centre at the Department. At precisely the time when the Department has expanded its role in training larger numbers of students and in training students of underprivileged sections of society, the focus of the Department has been set to shift to a study of contemporary Europe. 7. Under this program, a few students in the Department will be selected to go on a 6 weeks all expenses paid “field-trip” to select countries in Europe. We certainly need to do research on Europe as on other societies, but we need it on our own terms and not necessarily with EU funding. The offer of such a short 'research' trip abroad sends out negative signals to our students regarding the department's priorities in encouraging substantial, long-term field research. Moreover, only 25% of our research students at the M. Phil and Ph.D. level receive fellowships and those too not adequate to support them, let alone any kind of research. 8. A fundamental distinction needs to be made between the autonomy of individual faculty and students to pursue research of their choice, and the focus and character of a public institution of higher learning. Any change in the latter must follow a transparent and democratic process of discussion. Past practices, Departmental traditions and focus areas may be changed on the basis of an open debate, but cannot be dispensed with selectively. Given the enormity of the decision to set up a European Study Centre within an existing Department of Sociology, it should have involved a serious democratic and transparent debate. It is in the interest of restoration of institutional autonomy and democracy in Indian Higher Education that we are widely circulating this statement to initiate a public debate. Professor Virginius Xaxa Professor Tulsi Patel Professor Abhijit Dasgupta Professor Nandini Sundar Dr Meena Radhakrishna Dr Anuja Agrawal Dr Sudha Vasan Faculty Members, Department of Sociology, University of Delhi Your Mail works best with the New Yahoo Optimized IE8. Get it NOW! http://downloads.yahoo.com/in/internetexplorer/ _______________________________________________ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
