An Early Venture in Decolonization - British Students at Indian and South Asian Universities

Timely in its contribution to on-going debates on the decolonization of education, this novel volume charts the development of a scheme of postgraduate transnational education that saw British students sent to Indian and South Asian Universities while political decolonization was still ongoing.

Representing the first book-length publication focused entirely on the educational effects of this aspect of the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Scheme, chapters are based on the personal narratives of 40 learners, providing a rich historical, qualitative study which sets the students’ experiences in their social and economic context. Demonstrating the changes that took place over time, chapters engage with debates about overt and implicit forms of colonial thinking, as well as discussion concerning cultural and educational decolonization within the academy. Ultimately, this compelling book demonstrates that educational decolonization goes beyond a mere awareness of imperialism and inequalities, instead reaching further towards a genuine, humanist engagement with other cultures.

Offering a first-hand account of an early decolonial venture, the book will be invaluable to academics, postgraduate students and scholars interested in decolonizing and international education, as well as in South Asian Studies. Policy makers in international educational contexts may also find the volume useful.

Mary Searle-Chatterjee is a retired Social Anthropologist and lecturer in South Asian Studies, as well as author and editor of academic books on India and education. She co-edited Religion, Language and Power (2008) with Nile Green.