Philip G. Altbach

Bio: Philip G. Altbach is an academic researcher from Boston College. The author has contributed to research in topics: Higher education & Comparative education. The author has an hindex of 71, co-authored 477 publications receiving 20157 citations. Previous affiliations of Philip G. Altbach include State University of New York System & University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Three Facets of Global Student Protest

Abstract: I three important countries on three continents, university students are protesting. Governments had better take these protest movements seriously because they have the potential to incite major unrest or even to cause the downfall of regimes. The most serious protest movement is at present in Indonesia, where demonstrations that began at a few universities have spread throughout the country. Student complaints have escalated from protests about high prices and governmental corruption to open, and ultimately successful, demands for President Suharto’s ouster. The other two major protest movements are of less immediate impact, but both have the potential for significant political results. In Nigeria, students are at the forefront of a nascent protest against the repressive military dictatorship of tthe late Gen. Sani Abacha and his successors. The regime has destroyed the economy of oil-rich Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, executed high profile dissident Ken Saro-Wiwa and, most recently, engineered a patently unfair election with only one candidate—General Abacha himself. So far, the regime has kept the lid on things by repression. Now, however, there are signs that campus-based unrest is gaining strength. In Germany, students last winter protested against deteriorating conditions at the universities. Lack of funding combined with expanding enrollments have brought Germany’s university system to its knees. Classrooms are overcrowded, and students are taking longer and longer to graduate. Students organized the largest demonstrations in Europe since the volatile 1960s to demand more funds for higher education. So far, even though these demands have not been met, protests have subsided, at least for the moment. 1998 happens to be the 30th anniversary of the great European student protests of 1968, a fact not lost on either students or the authorities in Europe. In Germany, unlike the situation in Indonesia or Nigeria, students are not questioning the basic legitimacy of the state, nor do they have the potential of seriously damaging the government. Their concern, at least for the present, is for higher education. The power of student protest lies in the ability of students to mobilize the campuses and to reflect the frustrations and concerns of the population, and especially of the educated middle classes. In countries without functioning democratic systems and freedom of expression, student movements can reflect simmering social unrest, and serve as a catalyst of social change or even revolution. It has happened before, and it can happen again. Students, after all, played a central role in the violent uprising that brought Indonesia’s Suharto to power 30 years ago. Students have the greatest potential for major social change in developing countries. Indonesia and Nigeria are classic cases of nations in which the government has limited legitimacy in the eyes of many people. The government was not elected, few outlets for free expression exist, such as an independent press or media, free trade unions, and the regime seldom allows unfettered protest. People cannot vent their political frustration, and the government has no way of gauging public opinion. Students are the only group capable of mobilizing dissent. They are congregated on campuses where expression is relatively free. Organizing demonstrations is easy, and campuses are often close to the centers of power. Students are to some extent taught to think for themselves in their courses, and their thoughts sometimes turn to politics. A section of the teaching faculty is often critical of the regime, and willing to express such views to the students. Students reflect, to some extent, the attitudes of their families and, since students come in general come from the educated middle classes, these views have considerable importance. The campus, in a situation of social crisis, turns into a hothouse of political unrest.

International links have vital role in times of global tension

Abstract: Version corta de un ensayo publicado en el Journal of Studies in International Education, Vol. 19, No. 1, 2015.

What About Us

Abstract: Established in 2006, TATA Africa Services (Nigeria) Limited operates as the nodal point for Tata businesses in West Africa. TATA Africa Services (Nigeria) Limited has a strong presence in Nigeria with investments exceeding USD 10 million. The company was established in Lagos, Nigeria as a subsidiary of TATA Africa Holdings (SA) (Pty) Limited, South Africa and serves as the hub of Tata’s operations in Nigeria and the rest of West Africa.

The Internationalization of Higher Education: Motivations and Realities

Abstract: Globalization and internationalization are related but not the same thing. Globalization is the context of economic and academic trends that are part of the reality of the 21st century. Internationalization includes the policies and practices undertaken by academic systems and institutions—and even individuals—to cope with the global academic environment. The motivations for internationalization include commercial advantage, knowledge and language acquisition, enhancing the curriculum with international content, and many others. Specific initiatives such as branch campuses, cross-border collaborative arrangements, programs for international students, establishing English-medium programs and degrees, and others have been put into place as part of internationalization. Efforts to monitor international initiatives and ensure quality are integral to the international higher education environment.

Education at a Glance

Abstract: A detailed review of the education sector in Australia as in the data provided by the 2006 edition of the OECD's annual publication, 'Education at a Glance' is presented. While the data has shown that in almost all OECD countries educational attainment levels are on the rise, with countries showing impressive gains in university qualifications, it also reveals that a large of share of young people still do not complete secondary school, which remains a baseline for successful entry into the labour market.

The cultural politics of English as an international language

Abstract: Acknowledgements 1. The World in English Introduction: from Hurt Waldheim to Johnny Clegg The natural, neutral and beneficial spread of English The social, cultural and political contexts of English The worldliness of English Conclusion 2. Discourse and Dependency in a Shifting World Introduction: rethinking internationalism Development, aid and modernization Dependency and imperialism Culture, discourse, difference and disjuncture Criket, English and cultural politics 3. English and Colonialism: Origins of a Discourse Introduction: the complexities of colonialism Anglicism and Orientalism: two sides of the colonial coin English for the few: colonial education policies in Malaya Anglicism and English studies Conclusion 4. Spreading the Word/Disciplining the Language Introduction: anti-nomadic disciplines The disciplining of linguistics The disciplining of applied linguistics The spreading and disciplining of discourse of EIL 5. ELT From Development Aid to Global Commodity From cultural propaganda to global business: The British Council 'The West is better...': discourses of ELT English Language Teaching practices as cultural practices Conclusion: the compass of discourse 6. The Worldliness of English in Malaysia Contexts Cultural politics after independence Malay nationalism and English English, class and ethnicity English adn Islam English and the media The debates continue 7. The Worldliness of English in Singapore English as a useful language The making of Singapore Singapore English Pragmatism, multiracialism and meritocratism Pragmatic, multiracial and meritocratic English Conclusion 8. Writing Back: The Appropriation of English Postcolonial English Re-presenting postcolonial worlds Worldy texts in a worldly language Decentered voices: writing in Malaysia Centered voices: writing in Singapore From aestheticism to yuppyism: the new writing in Singapore From writing back to teaching back 9. Towards a Critical Pedagogy for Teaching English as a Worldly Language Critical pedagogies Discourse, language and subjectivity Insurgent knowledges, the classroom and the world References Index

English as a global language

Abstract: A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 0 521 82347 1 hardback ISBN 0 521 53032 6 paperback Contents List of tables page vii Preface to the second edition ix Preface to the first edition xii 1 Why a global language? 1 What is a global language? 3 What makes a global language? 7 Why do we need a global language? 11 What are the dangers of a global language? 14 Could anything stop a global language? 25 A critical era 27 2 Why English? The historical context 29 Origins 30 America 31 Canada 36 The Caribbean 39 Australia and New Zealand 40 South Africa 43 South Asia 46 Former colonial Africa 49 Southeast Asia and the South Pacific 54 A world view 59 v Contents