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International News

LETTER FROM AMERICA SAARC
Promising revelation Bleak future

ne of the best adventures UDGET WOES AND INTERNAL DIVISIONS could
I have had in many years prove fatal for a pan-Asian university backed by
Ois my first trip to India. I Bregional governments, scholars say. Based in New
have long followed the affairs of Delhi, the South Asian University (SAU) is supported by an
India and regarded it as important intergovernmental partnership, the South Asian Associa-
to the world. I saw wonders there.
I will describe some of them in my tion for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), with eight member
despatches in future. nations — including India, Pakistan and Nepal — contribut-
Begin with education. By at- DR. LARRY ARNN ing funding.
tending the EducationWorld India School Rankings SAU has become a staging ground for annual clashes in
Awards event in October, and receiving an undeserved recent years. Last November (2022), student protests over
but much appreciated award there, I discerned a healthy “significant” scholarship reductions escalated dramatically
spirit of love for learning and for children. I witnessed a into hunger strikes, with a few students hospitalised and the
vibrant private sector full of devoted people and eager
students. I saw it helps students to grow. This was excit- police called to intervene. In July, hundreds of international
ing and inspiring. faculty petitioned in support of SAU scholars who were sus-
Here in the United States, Hillsdale College has helped pended over accusations that they incited the protests.
to found and manage over 100 schools, and the network Now the university — which has grown to more than 700
is still growing. We have developed a detailed and care- scholars and seven departments after being established in
fully coordinated scope and sequence for education of 2010 — is facing “severely depleted” finances, lacking £9.5
the young from first grade (kindergarten) to graduation million (Rs.100 crore) according to media reports. Geopo-
in grade XII or senior year. Our college operates at the
highest academic level, and its faculty has deep knowl- litical tensions haven’t helped. Pakistan reportedly hasn’t
edge of all things that are taught in America’s schools. It contributed money toward SAU’s operational costs since
contributes continuously to our efforts in elementary and 2019. Other countries are said to be behind on their pay-
secondary education. ments.
We are invited by many to become involved in Indian Shahid Jameel, professor at
education, and we are keen to do so. However we have to the Oxford Centre for Islamic
learn more about the history, literature, philosophy, and Studies and former chief execu-
religions of India. We have set about that work and find
it promising. I begin with the fact that in India and in the tive of the Wellcome Trust DBT
United States (and most of Europe), we speak languages India Alliance, says that under-
of the ‘Indo-European’ group. This means our languages lying issues have plagued the
have descended over millennia from a common source. university for years. “Student
Different on surface, Hindi and English are related. protests, faculty suspensions
But words flow from ideas. That means that from as and so on are not the reason Shahid Jameel
far back as can be known, we have inherited not only but the outcome of deeper mal-
words but ideas in common. It stands to reason, then,
that philosophy, literature, and religion in our countries aise,” he says. “The situation is clearly not conducive to the
would have commonalities of ancient origin. We are ex- initial lofty ideals of a world-class university supported by
ploring this and will be able, we hope, to teach these com- SAARC nations. There is a clear possibility of SAU closing
monalities to American and Indian students. down or reinventing itself.”
A vital commonality is that we both elect our govern- Prof. Jameel says news of the institution’s financial woes
ments. That is of first importance in civic life. If govern- don’t come as a surprise, given that the institution’s mul-
ment works for the people, it will be of one kind. If it tilateral funding model — “hard to implement even in the
works for the few in power, it will be an entirely different
and worse experience. Modern India is a young country best of times”, with the university at the “mercy of sovereign
built upon an ancient foundation. The glory of its mod- nations” — has left SAU’s future looking “bleak”. “There is
ern history is this building and maintenance of a system no mechanism to enforce it and goodwill is out of fashion
of representative government. Students in America and in the world, including south Asia. Look at the reality: two
India need to know that. SAARC countries — Pakistan and Sri Lanka — which were
The world of education in India, which is united to a supposed to contribute 20 percent of the SAU budget, are
considerable degree by this publication, is exciting and practically bankrupt,” says Jameel.
promising. India is a guardian of freedom and civilization
for the world. It can maintain this position best, even Rafiq Dossani, director of the Center for Asia Pacific Pol-
only, through education. It is inspiring to watch educa- icy and a senior economist at the US-based thinktank the
tion flourish in India. We hope to be of service. Rand Corporation, agrees that the “biggest problem” cur-
rently facing SAU is lack of finances. “With the exception of
(Dr. Larry Arnn is President, Hillsdale College, USA)
India and Bangladesh, the other participating countries are

64 EDUCATIONWORLD JANUARY 2024