What: CDC Students’ Parliament on education, organised by the Calcutta Debating Circle as part of Calcutta’s Festival of the Spoken Word, in association with The Telegraph

When: December 20

Where: Presidency University

The topic: Trends in globalisation and the future of universities 

The speakers: Students of various city and foreign colleges and universities 

HIGHLIGHTS

Lakelyn Taylor, from the University of Central Florida, highlighted the positives and negatives of globalisation. “While globalisation has induced greater connectivity in terms of technology and allowed better exchange of information, it also has its fair share of negatives. With increase in globalisation, a sense of domination by some cultures sets in and in some way that overpowers other cultural practices. It has also been observed that a ‘saviour’ complex sets in, where the superpowers or larger countries take it upon them to fix and save the smaller or developing countries,” said the master’s student of communication studies. 

Ananda Shankar Laha of Jadavpur University dwelt on access to information and education. “Globalisation is an ongoing process and is extending its impact on the nature and availability of education. Many reputed universities now have free courses online for everyone to access. Many lectures are video-recorded and students from any part of the world are able to learn from them. While globalisation has certainly increased the influx of information, it is important to remember that not all information can successfully translate to knowledge,” said the student of mechanical engineering. 

Richard Ngo from Oxford University attempted to convince the audience that the question of the hour is ‘how can we make education cheap?’ He explained that while online classes are reaching out to a larger group of students, the life experiences a university offers cannot be replicated in this sort of online learning. 

Some of the speakers also highlighted how with the advent of technology, it is important to use it to promote education and do away with the idea of labelling certain universities as “best” and their quality of education as “superior”. 
Suryasikha Ray from the department of law at Calcutta University talked about how there was still under-representation of minority communities in many of the universities and one of the primary goals of the universities in future should be to encourage a more diversified mass enrolment.

David Herman, a graduate in statistics from Harvard University, proposed that the defenders of globalisation were now different from what they used to be. He said there has also been a change in the choice of education destinations. Fewer students apply to the US and UK now, while emerging economies such as Taiwan and China are becoming education destinations. 

Aindrila Das of Shri Shikshayatan College refused to confine her argument to the dictionary meaning of globalisation and elaborated on how it introduces integration in several aspects. She also talked about “intellectual” globalisation, and how because of this vivid sharing of information and knowledge, more global research collaborations have been possible.

In the second round of the discussion, Shounak Kundu of Calcutta National Medical College examined how trends in globalisation were leading to a resurgence of social divisions. Ill-treatment of students in some foreign universities, changing immigration policies (some intense Trump hammering!) and reduction of job opportunities have certainly influenced how a student perceives education, he said. 

Imran Matteo of Cambridge University mentioned the concept of summer schools and internships that some universities offer, which allow students from all over the world to come and experience the campus life of that particular university and participate in diverse groups discussing academic, cultural and social ideas. He further pointed out how some research papers and articles, written free of cost by academicians, are available online, but they are extremely expensive. With globalisation, in the future, access to these materials should be made more affordable, he argued.

Adwaitia Dey from the department of law at Calcutta University reminded the audience how globalisation may lead to conflicting ideas. “It is important to instil a sense of acceptance, where all opinions are respected, and develop new ways to translate ideas and knowledge,” said the second-year student.

Irene Banerjee of Jadavpur University highlighted the positives, mentioning how many educational systems were introducing newer disciplines, such as African studies, as a result of globalisation. 

Paul Banks, a graduate in history of science from Harvard University, reminded the audience of the line that “the faster you move, the more slowness you see around you”. He talked about how contemporary universities should create a philosophy that fits globalisation, and one that should be more adaptive of changing times.

Moyuree Mukherjee of Presidency University wrapped up the discussion, explaining that the major issue that people seeking a global education face was availability of scholarships and funding and highlighting how working on making education more affordable was necessary. 

Text: Isha Lahiri
Picture: Arnab Mondal