Don’t complain about modern ideas: Spivak

Asks academics to reach out to their audiences

Renowned literary theorist from Columbia University Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak exhorted academics not to complain about the contemporary ideas of higher education.

Delivering an erudite lecture on Theatre of Education at Areekode on Tuesday, Prof. Spivak asked them to take risks and reach out to their audiences by flexing their imagination.

“Don’t define yourself as a victim. Do not complain the way contemporary Indian ideas of higher education are presumed,” she said, warning the academics against infantilising themselves.

“Higher education means flexibility of imagination,” Prof. Spivak said. Her lecture marked the inauguration of a three-day international colloquium on ‘Creative teaching and learning in higher education’ organised by the Department of English, Sullamussalam Science College, Areekode.

Complimenting the students and teachers for being at a place where “enlightened Islam is at work and where women are taken seriously,” Prof. Spivak advised them to know well their audience before they teach.

Teaching, she said, was all about theatre, which meant making it visible. She said higher education was all about feeling the skeleton of one’s language and understanding that there were many other languages in the world.

Prof. Spivak advised them not to claim identity. According to her, Ambedkar’s voice was about the constitutional subject, not about identity.

M. Zahira, former head of English department, introduced Prof. Spivak.

College manager N.V. Abdurahman presided. Head of English department Reshma Majeed read out a concept note. Principal P. Muhamed Ilyas welcomed the gathering. P.P. Abdul Haque, founding Principal of Sullamussalam Science College, and Yahya N.V., programme coordinator, spoke.

Alternative educationists such as Gautham Sarang, Manu Jose, and D. Sachith shared their experiences at a session titled ‘Spivak with Alternative Educators.’ K.K. Kunhammed, head of the department of English, Kannur University, was the moderator. Jouhar K., faculty member, welcomed the gathering. P. Sumayya, faculty member, proposed a vote of thanks.

Sadanand Menon, professor from IIT Madras, will speak on ‘Compulsory miseducation: a perspective from the arts’ on Wednesday. N.P. Ashley from St. Stephen’s College, New Delhi, will speak on ‘created by education, killed by politics: reading historical liabilities of democracy and the university space.’