Whither the Idea of the University?

While the USA leads the world in redefining the word “bizarre,” two Chinese universities now occupy the top two positions, pushing Harvard to third place in a ranking by a European institution. The fact is that, despite the USA remaining at the top of the world, it is sliding downwards. Time will tell whether this decline is irreversible. It is also not clear whether the present administration is causing this decline or merely demonstrating it.

Questions arise as to why America appears to be faltering despite housing some of the best educational institutions in the world. At the same time, China continues to grow with the rapid upgrading of its universities. Do universities merely perform in accordance with the prevailing political ecosystem? It would be far-fetched to suggest that universities lack their own autonomous mind and institutional agency. If this is indeed the case, as present indications suggest, it is a travesty of the very idea of the university.

Niraj Kumar Jha