Resistance through Higher Education
Myanmar Universities’ Struggle against Authoritarianism
By Licia Proserpio
Published
Dec 6, 2024Page count
184 pagesISBN
978-1529241068Dimensions
234 x 156 mmImprint
Bristol University PressPublished
Dec 6, 2024Page count
184 pagesISBN
978-1529241075Dimensions
234 x 156 mmImprint
Bristol University PressPublished
Dec 6, 2024Page count
184 pagesISBN
978-1529241075Dimensions
234 x 156 mmImprint
Bristol University Press
Resistance through Higher Education
In February 2021, Myanmar experienced the third coup d’état in its modern history. Unprecedented strength was displayed by Myanmar civil society as it fought back against these new authoritarian drives. Where did this strength come from?
Fearing the loss of the benefits gained in the previous decade of reforms (2011–2021), students, teachers, professors, and activists fuelled the Spring Revolution. To understand what is happening in Myanmar, this book outlines the historical efforts by Myanmar universities to advocate for a more just society and offers unique insight into the long-lasting struggle of education against authoritarianism.
By exploring Myanmar’s social and political struggles through the lens of higher education resistance, the book offers a compelling narrative about the life of the country following the latest coup d’état, an event that continues to puzzle the international community.
“One cannot understand contemporary Myanmar without appreciating the role of its Higher Education, students, and teachers in a state–society conflict that has lasted over 80 years. This book offers an essential lens to comprehend the country's history, as well as the current fight for democracy and social justice.” Marie Lall, University College London
"This carefully researched book makes a valuable contribution to scholarly understanding of higher education in Myanmar, both past and present." Rosalie Metro, University of Missouri
Licia Proserpio is Adjunct Professor at the Department of History and Culture at the University of Bologna, Italy, and at the School of Liberal Studies at UPES, India.
Introduction
1.In the Wake of the 2021 Coup: Resistance by the Educated Gen Z and Their Teachers
2.Myanmar’s Higher Education in Historical Perspective
3.Building ‘Reformist’ Higher Education in Myanmar (the 2011–21 Decade)
4.Impossible Resistance to Neoliberalism: Making Myanmar Universities More Autonomous but Not More Inclusive
5.After the 2021 Coup: Higher Education for the Revolution
Conclusion
