Global discourses and power/knowledge: theoretical reflections on futures of higher education during the rise of Asia

Abstract

This paper re-reads a selection of critical interdisciplinary theories in an attempt to open a space in higher education for cross-cultural dialogue during the rise of Asia. Theories of globalization, deterritorialization, power/ knowledge and postcolonialism indicate that students and academics have the ability to re-imagine and influence globalization processes in higher education. The current power effects of global discourses restrict the imaginaries and territories of globalization-leading to specific enactments in ways that prioritize western understandings of higher education. The paper argues for the need to explore hegemonic discursive formations of globalization to uncover processes of "othering" and the subjugation of knowledges. In this regard, a postcolonial perspective can help by opening up scenarios for the future of higher education in the Asian Century. I often ask myself the question: am I Chinese or am I Western? Because in my heart I feel Chinese, but in my work [as an educational researcher] I have to be Western. (Yang, 2014) A key issue for academics working in universities in Asia is how they will position themselves in increasingly international higher education landscapes. In the last two decades, higher education has become a centrepiece of globalization: the sector is deregulated in most countries, and around the world universities are increasingly organized as businesses (Mok, 2011). On a global scale, a growing number of higher education institutes are competing to become a "world-class university" and to progress higher on the rungs of international university rankings (Sidhu, 2009, p. 126). In this context, Asian universities are progressively gaining international recognition and prestige as they climb the ranking ladders. Against this background, the prefatory quote above, from an educational scholar at a university in Hong Kong, stands out. He calls for the need to question the idea of "progress" of Asian universities. His words pay attention to the complexity of the notion of a "global education" from a cultural perspective. For academics in Asian countries embroiled in western discourses, the current higher education system may involve cultural masquerades due to an intrusion of "western" influences. The increasing international recognition of Asian universities is important for globalization; however, perhaps not at the risk of a cultural shift towards western academic models. The rise of Asia, and the concomitant rise of the universities, highlights the need to critically scrutinize the cultural effects of globalization of higher education in Asia-for global diversity.

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