Shopper’s Paradise or Learning Center? Deconstructing Stereotypes

Not long back; recently while doing my fieldwork among the so called notorious and criminal tribes (Bhils) of Southern Rajasthan, I had the opportunity to meet varieties of people – academics, journalists, NGO activists, people’s representatives, tourists, donor agents and most importantly the ‘subjects’ or we may call the ‘objects’ of government and NGO welfare programmes – the tribals. It was not my research which surprised most of the people, rather it the place from where I am currently receiving my academic trainings. It is Singapore. Many of the people came with the same surprising question that “I have never heard anyone going to Singapore to continue with their higher studies”. A lady activist of a NGO also asked me that “I thought Singapore is a place for shopping and tourism”.

My implicit feelings of pleasure and satisfaction of studying abroad were shattered into pieces by their remarks. It, frankly speaking, let me feel embarrassed. I, however, had an answer to their questions – it is true that Singapore has long considered as a “shopper’s paradise” and none has recognized it as a center for learning and education. We have always looked upon America and Britain as our pathfinders and solution providers. The reasons for this could be the ‘history of colonialism’ (colonization of mind) and the economic and political dominance of these countries in the world order (hegemony). It is also associated with the ‘history of modernity’. I do not deny their role in educating the young mind around the globe. However, what I want to suggest is that it is not a matter of where you learn but what you learn. I agree that the American and British Universities still play dominant role in the field of higher education, but at the same there are many other universities which are important centers of higher education. The center of education has decentered. Singapore is not only a shopper’s paradise but also an education hub with immense opportunities and respect for talents.


In 2006, three Asian Universities have been ranked amongst the top-twenty Universities of the World conducted by the Times Higher Education Supplement. The criteria used for this year's rankings include research quality; teaching quality; graduate employability; and international outlook. The National University of Singapore (NUS) has been ranked 19th amongst the World’s top 20 Universities. In Technology it is at 8th and in Biomedicine it stands at 9th position. In Social Science it is at 11th; in Arts and Humanities it is at 22nd; and in Science it also stands at 22nd position (see http://newshub.nus.edu.sg/headlines/0610/ranking_07oct06.htm).

What we need is to deconstruct the stereotypes by deconstructing the popular psyche….