Chairs: Terri Kim (UEL and UCL, U.K.; Yonsei University, Korea) & Nafsika Alexiadou (Umeå University, Sweden)
In this era where technological, political, and cultural forces converge, the definition and delivery of learning within universities are being fundamentally reshaped. This Working Group invites critical inquiry into how politics -ranging from geopolitical tensions and national security policies to emerging digital governance- are redefining the spaces, framings, and outcomes of learning inside academe.
Current policies across different countries aimed at mercantile protectionism, neonationalism and securitisation exemplify how politics interfere with academic freedom and learning loci. These pressures, coupled with the proliferation of virtual and informal learning environments, raise urgent questions: Who controls learning spaces? Who shapes the worldview and knowledge that are produced and prioritised? And how do institutions balance experimentation with control?
This inquiry demands a comparative and historical perspective to understand how power dynamics, policies, and practices condition what is learned, who learns, and how learning prepares individuals for societal participation. It asks us to think about how institutions, online platforms, and political ideas (like political correctness and decolonisation) affect learning and teaching -bringing up issues about who has power, who gets to influence learning, and what the future holds for universities as places for deep thinking and intellectual dialogues.
The WG invites critical reflections on the evolving learning “ecology” in higher education -how learning is constructed, contested, and controlled at multiple levels. We also explore how these dynamics shape pedagogical practices, academic integrity, and the future role of humanities and liberal arts within possibly post-human educational paradigms.
The following questions are deemed particularly relevant in light of the working group’s aims:
- How do national security and geopolitical policies influence the framing and control of learning within universities?
- Who are the dominant actors shaping knowledge and worldview formation in today’s learning spaces at the university -states, institutions, or digital platforms?
- How does the rise of virtual and informal learning alter traditional notions of pedagogical authority and agency?
- How is the academic profession affected by and respond to discourses and policies that challenge established academic practices, freedoms, and collaborations in research and teaching?
- What tensions exist between policies on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and security-driven imperatives, and how do these shape learning outcomes?
- How can historical and comparative insights inform our understanding of the politics of learning in contemporary university contexts?
Employing a critical comparative gaze, we seek rigorous, innovative contributions that examine the politics of learning -its spaces, framings, actors, and outcomes- within today’s complex socio-political and cultural landscape. Join us in exploring how the university’s core function of learning is being contested, controlled, and redefined.