67In the outset of this section, I promised an outline of some promising directions
to save Asian HE humanities and social sciences. I do not pretend to offer a panacea
policy formula because the Asian HE landscape is rather heterogeneous, albeit their
common features such as their colonial past, strong eagerness for development, and
rapturous celebration of globalization.
It could be argued that whatever may be the Asian nation-states’ vision and mis-
sion, the ongoing demolition of HE humanities and social sciences may backfire on
us, Asia, making us once more embrace a worldview and social programs that are
not authentically ours while fueling up rampant nationalism and dangerous geopo-
litical disputes within our continental boundaries. If social sciences and humanities
are intellectual instruments for self and a mutual understanding in and among our
societies, ours seems to be a time when we need social sciences and humanities the
most. Hence, it is only foolish that we now take action to destroy such intellectual
tools right at the root of knowledge structure and production—Asian higher
education.
What I have offered here is a call for an immediate/deep examination and reflec-
tion on the current state of affairs so that, in so doing, we Asians may authentically
determine, neither imposed nor conditioned, the future directions for the Asian HE
humanities and social sciences.
Conclusion: Toward a “Fourth Mission” of Asian Higher
Education
I am not a purist, and I do not believe that human endeavors including the time-
honored social intuitions such as universities are to be read in black and white.
However, there is not even a remotest doubt that Asian HE institutions are in the
pains of delivering a knowledge production machinery, “research mill,” at the ser-
vice of the state, or state apparatuses (Althusser 1971 ) with borrowed neoliberal
principles and practices.
In a century called after her, Asia is still preoccupied with putting herself on the
Western topography. I do believe that Asian universities will keep contributing to
the global goal (not ragged globalization) of universitas, that is, universal access to
knowledge with authentic and sustainable growth, which may lead to a real and
“sincere” service to the society with qualitative improvement of human condition.
This service in Asia should set some priorities, for example, knowledge pro-
duced in Asia should contribute to easing war grudges and territorial-maritime dis-
putes with fresh nationalistic politics that threaten the peace. Perhaps it should be a
“Fourth Mission of HE,” a mission of sanitation and reconciliation from within,
with a wide range of Asian perspectives in humanity and social sciences research to
overcome the many inherent and dated regional problems in true spirit of science,
which “derives its capacity for self-renewal from its belief in the presence of a hid-
den reality, of which current science is one aspect, while other aspects of it are to be
revealed by future discoveries” (Polanyi 1983 , p. 82).
4 Higher Education Knowledge Production in Postcolonial-Neoliberal Asia