The post-development university

Abstract

While higher education has always had an international dimension, it is problematic to assume universally valid epistemologies, curricula and missions. This penultimate chapter explores radical critiques of the university in terms of its institutional structures and epistemic underpinnings, drawing on the ideas of Ivan Illich and post-development theorists. Cases of alternative universities in Mexico and Brazil are explored, assessing the significant possibilities of innovation, but also challenges in providing a viable option of study. These experimental institutions serve not only to reinvent learning, but also to promote a broader imagination of our conception of society and sustainable development.