Universities, doctors and society- Part I:

Universities and student activism
 

At the outset we need to examine the history of higher educational institutions briefly in order to understand the role of a university. In Asia we have the university type centre at Nalanda starting around the 5th Century AD-to later than AD 1200 teaching Buddhism, Brahminical vedic texts, Philosophy, logic theology, grammar, astronomy, mathematics and medicine.

It covered a huge area, had students from all over Asia: about 10,000 students and 1,500 teachers at its peak. Other centres included Taxila (about 400 BC), and the Abhayagiri Complex from possibly 20BC.

We see that what is provided is learning with certification by a recognized individual or institution conferring a rank (gentry or scholar) in, and required by, society-: may be based on religious instruction.

Other older institutions include the Academy of Gundashipur in Iran funded by Sassanid king, Shapur I, in AD 200 which is still in operation; Nanjing University from AD258 (Imperial Nanjing Institute), which exists to this day in China, and of course various Madrasahs- religious education centres. Something like a degree came to be given by the Fes Morocco University of al- Karaouine AD859, the al-Azhar University Cairo, Egypt AD 975, and from AD 1088 in Bologna, Italy by the University of Bologna (100,000 students now).

discipline

In AD 1150 in Paris, France the University of Paris started and as soon the English were not allowed to go to Paris, in AD 1157 in England the University of Oxford started and as there was a dispute between some staff and students in AD1209 the University of Cambridge started.

Although many ‘Universities’ started as religion related institutions- may be as either rulers or religious groups were the ones with power, money and patronage,- they have changed into secular organisations.

More recently there are ‘Universities’ in all continents over the past 500 years, private and state funded, several with mixed funding arrangements, some with only one discipline (e.g. engineering, medicine) and others with several.

Entry requirements, graduations requirements, fee structures, the degree of job orientation courses as against those meant to develop the mind, and the value given to the generation of new knowledge, vary.

Groups are named in various ways - a well known name being ‘Ivy League’ (supposed excellence in the USA). They are also ranked- the so called top ten being in the USA (8) and Britain (2) - but this ranking in not by their ability to answer in a holistic way the requirements of society in a country. Sri Lanka has had formal Universities for 60 years, and with their forerunners for over a hundred and fifty years.

Examining these Institutions and the roles they have played over the years we can derive a list of the varying attributes of a ‘University’- not all of which are in play in any one institution at a single period of time.

Activism and unrest

The list includes Learning/Scholarship/ Training, Holistic Social Consciousness and Peaceful (not always) activism, Research and New Knowledge generation- the result of scholarship and a spirit of enquiry/ response to societies problems, Education , Responsiveness to societies needs, an outcome of Societies ‘obligation’ to country and youth , Tradition or Trans-generational and family values.

The idealism of youth and the collection of minds in a ‘University’ with the matter of social consciousness and activism sadly leads to episodes of unrest and violence- sometimes as the ‘establishment’ is thought to be so intransigent as to be unable to respond to peaceful activism- sometimes the violence and disruption are meant to try to change a Government.

Violence and disruption has to be regarded as a breakdown in mutual trust and constructive and continuing interaction between University and Society. University unrest is not new- to start with some of the more recent episodes of unrest. In 1207 Cambridge split off Oxford over a disagreement, in 1229 Paris Town-Gown disputes over Church reform went on for two years with student deaths, there were more episodes in various places over the years.

From the 1960’s Berkley (California) Flower power and Vietnam war protest, and now disruptions about Nudists, and a Union of Postgraduates; much violence in Paris in the late 1960’s, in the 1970’s Kent State Ohio disturbances about Vietnam led to student deaths.

In Sri Lanka from the late 50’s on in Sri Lanka- various causes have led to disruption, violence and deaths. Causes were social and often internal- over hostel overcrowding, food, and parochial issues- with intrusions of national politics. In 1965 and 1975, and the 1980’s trouble was serious at Peradeniya. I had occasion to be ‘on the ground’ in some of this attempting to reduce confrontation by direct dialogue- sometimes with success.

The Southern universities were the base of JVP Part I in 1971. There was trouble in Jaffna on and off. In 1988-91 for JVP Part 2 of at Peradeniya, Colombo, Kelaniya, Jayawardenapura, Moratuwa and Ruhuna- I was very much on the ground often failing to reduce disruption but helping to reduce violent confrontation within university premises. Later there were disruptions relating to unwillingness to accept reasonable discipline, perceptions of unfair discipline, hostels, ragging, fear of graduate unemployment, private higher education being viewed as a threat, and arrests.

various issues

The reluctance of activist students to bow to majority opinion was illustrated at Peradeniya during the 1988-89 period. As Vice Chancellor I wrote a letter to over 4,000 students asking if they wished to return to work and if not why not? Of over 2,000 replies 70% wished to return unconditionally, 28% wanted the North Colombo Medical College issue sorted out, just over 1% had issues about hostels/food and such, and only just under 0.9%- admitted that they were using various issues with the real objective of toppling the government. All were very polite letters.

The causes of the youth unrest during this period were examined and the reasons that emerged included many issues had some sense (nepotism, caste issues, lack of education and jobs for educated, politicisation, lack of fair play in employment opportunities, uneven development, sell out to ‘foreigners’).

The JVP/DJV methods of terror, threat and death were totally unacceptable and wrong, and invited much violence against them. Sadly the government did not condemn youth deaths and the University youth did not and still has not condemned terrorism and the deaths they and their associates (the DJV/JVP) caused (even of the two Vice Chancellors).

The safety of some of us was guaranteed only in that all groups thought we were fair. One has to reiterate that violence and disruption have to be regarded as a breakdown in mutual trust and constructive and continuing interaction between University and Society. The challenge to both University and Society is to outthink those who wish to use violence and act to undermine by peaceful means the power base of those who want that violence to achieve their ends.