THE NORTH/SOUTH COALITION - CONFERENCE 2010
The University’s role in internationalization/globalization:
What knowledge for what development?
Place:University of Tromsø,
Time: 28-29. October 2010
Noam Chomsky writes, “Shifts in global power, ongoing or potential, are a lively topic among policy makers and observers. One question is whether (or when) China will displace the United States as the dominant global player, perhaps along with India. Such a shift would return the global system to something like it was before the European conquests. Economic growth in China and India has been rapid, and because they rejected the West’s policies of financial deregulation, they survived the recession better than most. Nonetheless, questions arise. One standard measure of social health is the U.N. Human Development Index. As of 2008, India ranks 134th, slightly above Cambodia and below Laos and Tajikistan, about where it has been for many ears. China ranks 92nd-tied with Belize, a bit above Jordan, below the Dominican Republic and Iran. India and China also have very high inequality, so more than a billion of their inhabitants fall far lower on the scale”….(cfr.
Our universities are actors in these types of globalization processes. What role do they play? What type of knowledge and what type of development do they contribute to? What distinguishes locally/regionally/globally anchored definitions of power as it is expressed in our daily academic lives? We are pleased to invite a number of researchers from countries in the South, from Europe, from Norway and from the University of Tromsø in order to contribute to a deeper understanding of the question of how to ensure the university’s role as an agent in internationalization/globalization. Specifically, how can knowledge contribute to development?
The University of Tromsø has nearly a 40-year tradition of research and development work with a large number of countries in the South. Many researchers and students at the University of Tromsø have used their expertise as development actors in the peripheral North Norwegian region as a basis for cooperation with partners from universities in the South. This cooperation has created an important foundation for the internationalization of our university. The collaboration has also enhanced our partner universities' involvement in international activities. In this way we are contributing to the consequences that globalization has on our society. Our collaboration with researchers and students from the South has enriched and strengthened the quality of the University of Tromsø’s scientific work, teaching and outreach of scientific output (examples include: books, papers and films that are known internationally, the establishment of joint scientific journals, the use of cross-cultural understanding as didactic tool in university education, etc.). At the same time we find a variety of unforeseen consequences. For example, one may find that the differentiation between a global academic hegemony and local populations have not contributed to development in their own regions of the world to the extent that was foreseen. Does the global academic-class solidarize with 'the people'? (cf. Chomsky, Mahmood Mamdani, etc.). Does the university of Tromsø analyze and capitalize all the positive and negative experiences that it has accumulated through nearly 40 years? The present planning of new strategies for future knowledge building – does it reflect a critical reflection on past practices?
Dramatic changes are taking place today within the university system globally and in Norway. Institutions are fused. The new FRIDA-system encourages all researchers to publish in scientific journals.Access to research funds is often connected to the quantity of published articles. Will these changes promote creative knowledge building and encourage engagement in regional development and fruitful research collaboration with the South? Or will these new strategies hamper the University of Tromsø’s role as tool for development in peripheral regions, international cooperation? Will the university be a latecomer that is behind the times or a pioneering university?
We are pleased to invite a number of researchers with extensive experience around the themes of globalization, university cooperation and corruption from the South, from Europe, from Norway and the University of Tromsø.
The University’s role in internationalization/globalization:
What knowledge for what development?
Tentative Program
Wednesday 27.10.2010
19.30:Reception atÁrdna, the Sámi cultural building located at the University campus
21.00:Bus departure from the University to Radisson Blu Hotel
Thursday 28.10.2010
Venue: AUD 2 Teorifagbygget Hus 1
Opening of conference
08.30:Taxi/Bus departure from Radisson Blu hotel to the University
08.45-09.15: Registration, at University Campus,
09.15-09.30:Opening of the conference
09.30-09.40: Introduction - Setting the Agenda: Lisbet Holtedahl, professor in social anthropology
Part 1: Globalization, North-South relations and monetary power.
How to go about to make universities contribute to our understanding of corruption practices and how is corruption used as a political tool?
09:40–11:45
- Eva Joly, member of the European Parliament and professor II in Tromsø:
- Excerpt from the documentary film project, a castle in Africa(extraits cinematographique du projet un château en Afrique)
- Tax paradises and people's everyday (Les paradis fiscaux, heros ordinaires et le rôle des institutions académiques)
Discussion
11.45-12.00:Coffee
12.00-13.30
- Jean-Pierre Olivier de Sardan, professor in anthropology: Corruption, practical norms and modes of governancein West Africa
- Handels Høyskole (Not Confirmed): Capitalism & Democracy: What went wrong? How can capistalistic system for financial deregulation contribute to social development?
Discussion
13.30-14.15:Lunch
14.15-15.45
- Boubacar Ba, jurist: Corruption as a challenge in Mali.
- Taguem F. Gilbert, Dr in history: The political economy of corruption: “the operation sparrowhawk” in Cameroon.
Discussion
15:45-16.00:Coffee
Del 2: The University's role in knowledge production and development
What are the differentiation processes generated by academia in the ongoing internationalization and globalization processes? Does academia help local populations feel ownership of the new knowledge? Does the knowledge in the hands of authorities lead to new types of marginalization and create new marginalizing forces? Or does it focus the development of knowledge on creating new types of marginalization or marginalizing forces?
16.00-17.30
- Randi Rønning Balsvik, professor in history:The state and university in Africa, with a special look at Ethiopia, 1950-2010.
- Fred Ketil Hansen, Dr. Høyskolen i Oslo: Higher education and democracy: the case of Chad"
Discussion
20.00:Dinner
Friday 29.10.2010
Venue: AUD-Max (Administration Building)
08.30: Taxi/Bus departure from Radisson Blu hotel to the University Campus.
Del 2 suite: The University's role in knowledge production and development
09.00-11.00
- Drissa Diakité, professor in history: How African knowledge, culture and political interests are marginalized in new ways in the international academic development
- Maikorema Zakari, professor in history: university and the question of regional and international development seen from Niger (l'université et la question du developpement regionale et international, vue duNiger)
- Bjørn Hersoug, professor, Norge Fiskeri Høyskole: The University’s role in regional development and international development, seen from Tromsø, Norway.
Discussion
11.00-11.15:Coffee
Part 3: The University’s future role
How can universities contribute to the knowledge of corruption? What political knowledge strategies and epistemological foundation should universities choose to ensure the development and cooperation between the peripheries to the north and south? (for example: Promoting the recognition of the complementary features between the groups, religions, regions, nations and curbing the development of corruption in both regions and in nations in the so-called international relations).
11:15-13.30
- Lisbet Holtedahl, professor in social anthropology: What are the lessons of 25 years of North/South cooperation? (Quelles sont les lessons de 25 ans de collaboration Nord/Sud?)
- Cheick Oumar Sisseko, Former Minister of Culture, Mali: Film Narration as a tool for regional and national development.
- Saliou Mahamadou, Researcher – Visual culturalstudies: “Becoming men”: A film about the rites of passage for boys of the Mbum people of Cameroon. The film questions the relationship of traditional knowledge and school knowledge.
Discussion
13.30-14.15:Lunch
Part 3a: New vision on North-South cooperation
14.15-15:30
- Ragnhild Tungesvik,SIU:Institutional cooperation as science: howto handle phenomena such as financial crises, corruption and the changing relationship between North and South.
- Fridtjov Thorkildsen, Norad, Norway (Not Confirmed) What role do universities play in the government's long-term policies for development in the South?
Discussion
15.30-16.00:Summing up/closure of the conference
Registration:
Please register your participation to:
Deadline: 20 October 2010.
Organizers:
The North/South Coalition at the University of Tromsø in collaboration with the Visual Cultural Studies, Department of Archeology and Social Anthropology, et the University of Tromsø. The Conference is financially supported by The Norwegian Agency for International Development (NORAD).