Experience In Academic Action

Once an academic, always an academic. This is the case of those who study regularly and wield their pen profusely. Former vice-chancellor of Tribhuvan University, Nepal’s pioneer, and premier institution of higher education, Prof. Tirth Raj Khania has not been sitting idle as far as his academic pursuits are concerned. Two new books published this year by the noted StarScholars, based in Maryland of the United States, creditably underscore the scholar in him. “Shifting Paradigms in Higher Education: Balancing Humanities, Scientism, and Academic Capitalism” and “Navigating Higher Education in Nepal: Historical Perspective and Future Directions” have made it to the Nepali book stalls since June.

Most people dismiss a book most of the time after a casual glance at the cover page and perhaps its title. Others spare a hurried look while some give the whole book a hurried read, even skipping pages at regular intervals. And a very few go through the whole book with patience and close scrutiny. As a reviewer, my personal integrity made me read the Khania books in their entirety within a few days. The works offer interesting perspectives regarding an appropriate approach to education at higher institutions of learning. About a dozen university professors and other academics from various countries in South Asia and other regions of the world are quoted for their appreciations. 

Reading taste

To paraphrase Shakespeare’s “All that glitters is not gold”, it would be folly to judge a book by its jacket and layout. Considered by sections of the critical West as one of the ten leading thinkers in the world today, Noam Chomsky endorses the Shifting Paradigms in Higher Education as “a valuable resource for anyone involved in higher education”. The book covers an area hardly discussed at length at any major public platform or documented for academic discussions in the form of a full-fledged book. It carries the author’s critical outlook of the academic landscape that could be enriched by the topics dwelt upon and suggestions proposed. 

Considering that “Universities are under enormous pressure to bring about necessary changes in content and methodology to cope with emerging challenges,” Khania intends to “serve as an essential guide” to all concerned. Its contents pursue a philosophy with due deference to science and humanities in developing an education system that enables a society to be endowed with leaders with vision, integrity, drive and dedication to their fields of special pursuit. Academic capitalism is one of the ten chapters incorporated in “Shifting Paradigms in Higher Education”, with a global perspective. It dwells upon the multifaceted relationship between capitalism and higher education, and advocates a humanising factor in higher education. 

Committed to focusing a university as knowledge-based institution, the noted educationist dwells upon public policy approach to education. A comprehensive review and overhaul of the education system is the recurring thrust. History of higher education in China, South Asia, West Asia, Africa and Europe is included. Modern university’s origin and functioning are also dwelt upon.  Centres of learning and universities in the earlier centuries in South Asia and beyond are referred to. 

Nalanda and Takshashila of the yore are given their due. Preceptors like Panini and Kautilya are noted for their research and teachings. Universities of Paris and Oxford, both founded in the 12th century, are dwelt upon briefly in a demonstration of how continuity with quality has been maintained. A full chapter is devoted to academic freedom, independent leadership and self-regulation. This contributes to what he calls a “critical mindset”. Research is given a high priority. 

Khania’s candid comments on the existing state of affairs in Nepal is put without any apologetic trappings: “In Nepal, there is no university established without vested political interest.” Citing his experience as a member of the National Planning Commission, he regrets “the way the Council of Ministers put[s] aside technical and professional recommendations and adopted political approaches while establishing new universities”. In a nutshell, one deliberate breach in academic approach inherently paves way for more to follow and gets entwined in a vicious set of consequences.

“If higher education continues to give a high priority to mechanical technology and economic gains ignoring humanism and intellectuality … human beings will be slave of machines without being sensitive and able to do good to humanity.” He identifies academic capitalism as “one of the most responsible factors for changing the terrain of higher education from being a public good to a private and commercial entity”. As government funds fail to keep pace with university needs, cost reduction becomes the first step. Eventually profit making overtakes other considerations. 

The author has overlooked the Raja of Bajhang, Jay Prithvi Bahadur Singh, a social reformer, a pioneer educationist, text book writer and last but by no means the least, a pioneer in the propagation of humanism. “Humanism” is a collection of Singh’s lectures delivered in various cities of British-ruled India and in Europe in the aftermath of the First World War. It offers a comprehensive perspective on how he viewed and defined humanism—a subject he so passionately pursued in the 1920s and the 1930s. 

Quality thrust

Khania’s other book, Navigating Higher Education in Nepal: Historical Perspective and Future Directions, focuses on the Nepali landscape. The seven-chapter book echoes relentless fervour for quality education. Of particular note is the section dwelling upon “Humanistic Higher Education at Central Campus, TU: Overcoming End Traps.” Laced with practical suggestions, the narrative methodically guides the reader to the existing state of affairs. Two chapters deal with aspects pertaining to how politics adversely affects the education sector. “Politicization of Higher Education and University Teachers”; and “Politicization of University Students” portray a critically accurate and candid assessment of the conditions the chapters envisage to cover.

The recommendations include the need for development Centres of Excellence, competent leadership and talented students pooled through competitions. In sum, Khania’s is a groundbreaking work that chronicles and comments on various aspects of the key subjects. His role in policy-making and introducing institutional reforms is writ large on the work produced in black and white. Not many of his peers summon the demanding time and energy to engage in such undertaking. Khania’s latest books offers a glowing testimony of an experienced educationist in academic action. Members of the related university Subject Committees should give a fair look at the pair of books for inclusion in the further reading section or core curriculum in tune with the credit hours allocated to a particular academic level.

(Professor Kharel specialises in political communication.)