Can the University Speak?

Abstract

The problematic nature of higher education and knowledge production has been a subject of debate within the academy. University students have protested against values that evoke colonial history and Western hegemony, as seen in the #RhodesMustFall protests in South Africa. This debate has highlighted the historically one-sided and interest-driven manner in which knowledge has been produced and disseminated, especially within the contemporary academy, where neoliberal practices are deeply intertwined. In this context, I provide a concise summary of these discussions while integrating the perspectives of two influential figures in postcolonial theory, Homi Bhabha and Gayatri Spivak. Homi Bhabha's 'Theory of Mimicry' offers a plausible explanation for the imitation of the Global North's university culture and structure by peripheral countries. It suggests that the privileged position of the West as a pioneer in this regard dates back to the colonial period when non-Western societies believed they could achieve a semblance of civilization by adopting these imitative practices. However, the current state of higher education is deeply flawed and biased due to this imitation of Western models by non-Western universities. This subordination of higher education to Western ideals has made it a tool of neoliberalism, which underscores that knowledge production, and consequently higher education, lacks its own agency and is rendered subaltern. Nevertheless, Latin America provides examples of subversity and pluriversity that challenge the conventional university model in the pursuit of decolonization.