A Half-Century of Indian Higher Education
Essays by Philip G Altbach
- Pawan Agarwal - CEO, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
This volume, edited by Pawan Agarwal, brings together 34 seminal writings of Professor Altbach on universities and colleges, knowledge production and distribution, academic profession, globalization and open-door policies, academic publishing, campus politics and comparative studies on Indian and Chinese systems. The articles provide an invaluable access to the various issues that have profoundly shaped India's higher education system during the last five decades. They give a comprehensive reading of the development of higher education in post-Independence India in a simple yet gripping style and affirm Professor Altbach's enduring commitment to this area.
The book includes in-depth reflective articles for each of its seven sections by well-known experts on higher education. It also features an insightful interview with Professor Altbach that illuminates many vital areas of higher education worldwide.
[The book] covers a wide range of subjects...Not a single aspect of higher education in India has gone untouched—ranging from student politics to contemporary challenges.... The book should be read by everybody interested in higher education. It provides opportunities not only to reflect on the past and also to think about the future direction of higher education in India.
The book as a whole makes it clear that the juggernaut of Indian higher education will move on but there are massive challenges at all levels and in all respects…there is a useful detailed index at the end, and the entire volume is well-produced and makes partly intriguing reading.