Experiments in Decolonizing the University: Towards an Ecology of Study

The book challenges the traditional view of the university and proposes an ecology of study to address the relationship between university and society. It draws on the work of various philosophers and theorists and applies it to the Palestinian experimental university 'Campus in Camps'. The book argues that study practices should be seen as a site of resistance against neoliberal and capitalist reforms of the university and offers a different vision for its future.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 200 pages
Publication date: 17 November 2022
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

The book "The University and Society: A Debate from the Middle Ages to Kant, Humboldt, Newman, and Beyond" by Hans Schildermans addresses the need to reconsider the relationship between universities and society, a debate that has been ongoing since the Middle Ages and continues to be relevant today. Schildermans draws on the philosophy and theory of higher education, incorporating the works of John Dewey, Donna Haraway, William James, Bruno Latour, Martin Savransky, Isabelle Stengers, and Alfred North Whitehead. In the context of the Palestinian experimental university "Campus in Camps," he develops the concept of an ecology of study to approach the relationship between universities and society from a fresh perspective. The book challenges the traditional dichotomy between the autonomous university, where research and teaching are conducted in freedom and solitude, and the capitalized university, which produces useful knowledge. Schildermans emphasizes the importance of study practices as a site of resistance against neoliberal and capitalist reforms of the university and as a means of envisioning a different future for higher education. The eBook editions of this book are available open access under a CC-BY-NC-ND 3.0 licence on www.bloomsburycollections.com.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350215177