The open seminar will be held as follows:

■Date
13：00-16：00, Monday, November 13th, 2017

■Theme 

・Social and individual formation in higher education: Reflections on similarities and differences between East and West
・The New Silk Road: Implications for higher education and research cooperation between China and Europe

■Venue 
Room112, RIHE, Hiroshima University

■Lectures
Simon Marginson, UCL Institute of Education, University College London
Marijk van der Wende, Utrecht University (School of Governance)

■Abstracts

”Social and individual formation in higher education: Reflections on similarities and differences between East and West”

Higher education is primarily a process of self-formation in an institutionalised setting in which the purpose is to enhance student agency in all respects (intellectual, cultural, social, economic etc) and there is no intrinsic conflict between these different applications. Higher education as self-formation has a long history in the Confucian tradition and in Western education became most developed in the German idea of Bildung, where the autonomous individual is situated in the public sphere and immersed in reason. However, both individuals and higher education are socially situated and the crucial contribution of learning and research to public good(s) needs more attention. The paper problematizes the alignment of individual formation with social formation and suggests a focus on this intersection. It reflects on approaches to public good(s) in higher education in the Chinese civilizational zone and Europe/North America.

“The New Silk Road: Implications for higher education and research cooperation between China and Europe”

Recent geopolitical events such as Brexit and the US turning its back on international trade and cooperation create waves of uncertainty in higher education regarding international cooperation, the free movement of students, academics, scientific knowledge, and ideas. Meanwhile China is launching new global initiatives with its New Silk Road (or One Belt One Road) project, which could potentially span and integrate major parts of the world across the Euro-Asian continents. But likely on new and different conditions, also for higher education.

How will the NSR affect European higher education and research? What types of academic flows and activities emerge along the NSR, how do universities respond, under what conditions are these activities taking place, who defines these, based on what values, and do we actually understand these values at all? What will be the impact of these developments on the US HE sector and its role in the global HE landscape?

■Language 
English

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