Ziauddin Sardar & Jeremy Henzell-Thomas, Rethinking Reform in Higher Education: From Islamization to Integration of Knowledge. London: 2017.
In the 21st century, where almost everything undergoes rapid change, it is an undeniable fact that education and knowledge production are as crucial as ever. Both the personal development of individuals and the direction societies take largely depend on the quality and functioning of education systems. Furthermore, with globalization, there is a tendency towards modernization, Westernization, and standardization in knowledge production. Yet, it has not been completely as harmonious in Muslim societies as in Western countries and has resulted in a complex reaction within the specificity of the societies.
Compiled from the writings of Ziauddin Sardar and Jeremy Henzell-Thomas, Rethinking Reform in Higher Education: From Islamization to Integration of Knowledge discusses the genesis of this reaction, the problems of non-Islamization in the current system of knowledge production, and how the reform movement should be pursued. The book primarily seeks to provide explanatory answers to the question, “Is it possible to produce authentic knowledge in the higher education institutions (universities, various institutes, etc.) of Muslim societies?” and consists of four chapters.
In the introductory chapter titled “Mapping the Terrain,” Sardar addresses the problems of inadequacy and degradation of higher education institutions and the necessary system change. Michel Godet has identified the current and major problems in the education system as the epistemological crisis, the crisis of aims, the crisis regarding the content and organization of education systems, the crisis of the selection process, and the crisis of authority and control. He also pointed to the quality of education and teachers, functionality, and economic and social effects regarding education. Moreover, we should note that the capitalist system did not separate its mechanisms from knowledge production. Private universities and private schools have turned into workplaces where education is marketed.
On the other hand, it is highlighted in the book that “the main problem for the confusion surrounding European higher education and its reform is that we do not know what a university is for” (p. 15). Throughout history, educational institutions have drifted into a void of meaninglessness and purposelessness by the 19th century, as noted by European scholars. Despite attempts to define the purpose of education in German, English, and French schools, there has been no universal agreement on what education should aim to achieve.
Referring to the emerging sciences and the social structures and ideas that construct them, Sardar emphasizes that disciplines are “socially constructed.” One important point to keep in mind is that knowledge is never produced in a vacuum, separated from people, timeless, spaceless, or without a historical context. Science is always embedded in the values, assumptions, cultures, and worldviews in which it is produced. However, since it has been primarily produced under the monopoly of the West, it naturally reflects the worldview of the West. Consequently, the most significant differences between the West and other developing or colonized states become apparent in their knowledge production and educational systems.
The most significant differences between the West and other developing or colonized states become apparent in their knowledge production and educational systems.
In the second chapter, titled “From Islamization to Integration of Knowledge,” Sardar seeks answers to the questions, “How can we achieve Islamic reform in higher education? How have Muslim societies and Western modernity confronted each other in the development of sciences?” In the following pages, he outlines answers to these questions as follows (p. 126):
We are talking about ‘holistic education’ in a more universal sense. Our goal is to create a new paradigm based on the first principles, where knowledge, creation, life and humanity are perceived as integrated within a universal framework. As such, we intend to go beyond the attachment to existing paradigms and models (which are usually inherently dichotomous and adversarial) in the realization that the way forward is a new mode of consciousness which is integrative and inclusive and involves embracing the Other.
This section also provides a recurring message of “unity” as a subtext. In the sciences, one can speak of opposites and dichotomies such as knowledge-value, quantitative-qualitative; in social life, modern-traditional, and religious-secular. To sustain its functioning, the Western system requires uniform social and even scientific structures and does not tolerate separation and differences. However, in Islamic educational reform, contrasts are seen as richness. Today and tomorrow share the same atmosphere, where people, their endeavors, and sciences are not segregated into “self and other.” In other words, ongoing and forthcoming technological developments will concern not only the West but all of humanity. Therefore, higher education institutions need to embrace an innovative paradigm based on universal good, beauty, and healing without excluding the other. In other words, “We need to see the Muslim civilization as a human civilization” (p. 132).
We need to see the Muslim civilization as a human civilization.
In the third chapter of “The Integration We Seek,” Jeremy Henzell-Thomas opens with an insight into the unraveling and reweaving of layers of meaning. On the one hand, the glorification of the West through a globalized narrative symbolizes Western antagonism, and on the other hand, it gives rise to an excessive defense of traditional values and methodologies and a blind adherence to them. Even without the ostentatious tools of modernity, societies that lose their core values will inevitably succumb to corruption. Thomas opposes the passive acceptance of cultural values without any effort and adds: “We must move past the tired debate that pits the modern West against its backward other and recover the Enlightenment ideal of rigorous self-criticism” (p. 148).
The term “Fuad” is frequently mentioned in this chapter, emphasizing not only the rational aspect of human beings but also the importance of unity of heart and mind in the expanded disciplines approach. It is widely acknowledged that a university should teach uniqueness, creativity, imagination, social responsibility, and the ability to take risks. However, in addition to these, the curriculum should also facilitate independent thinking, the ability to reach out to the other through dialogue and communication, genuine interest and deep kindness. It should also pave the way for students to attain an open heart and mind, and understanding. In this regard, educators should play an active role not only in knowledge transmission but also in cultivating the spirit and fostering students’ character development.
Henzell-Thomas concludes the book with the chapter “Towards a Language of Integration.” As the title suggests, the main theme of this section revolves around language and, subsequently, the need for new paradigms that prioritize the semantic-conceptual richness created by international languages and emphasize human values. Islamic reform promises paradigms that transcend the limits of dialectics, liberating from the rigidity and dryness of false certainties. “Meeting this challenge is integral to our intention to find what might best be described as a seminal language to activate, shape and drive forward a new and dynamic discourse on the integration of knowledge for the revitalization of education in Muslim societies” (p. 178). Moreover, the need for reformation against the Western monopoly of meaning is not only felt in Eastern and Muslim societies. Western scientists also require new areas of meaning that respect humanity’s sustainability and ontological and physical existence due to the increasing problems arising from technological developments and the growing visibility of nature and human degradation.
In conclusion, Sardar and Thomas present the necessity of rethinking the education system in Islamic terms through their writings. They diagnose the problems with social and technical elements within a logical framework and outline reform steps from a holistic perspective. These writings are also valuable in illuminating the action plan for scholars and candidates who feel trapped in the modern world. Moreover, they also provide an inclusive space for everyone within a Westernized and globalized system. Education is fundamental to the sustenance and continuity of life, and education nourishes the values of life. Thus, there is an inherent cyclical structure between them.
