South-South cooperation in education and development

Abstract

How real is South-South transfer? What does it mean in practice? Why has it become an issue?

This volume, the first academic book to deal specifically with South-South cooperation in relation to education, shifts the discussion away from the promotional material of international development agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), to critically look at why so many agencies and researchers in development studies herald South-South transfer as a new type of international technical assistance that propels a more symmetrical relationship between the lenders and the borrowers of educational reforms or projects. While the volume draws on the wider literature on South-South cooperation from the history, political science, development studies and sociology disciplines, the authors contribute to the existing literature in education and development, the policy borrowing and the lending literature by adding new perspectives.

The book critically investigates the occurrence, types and content areas of South-South transfer, and also identifies areas in which such a transfer among equals has occurred in the erstwhile Soviet Union, contemporary central Asia and China, Brazil, India and Africa, and where it is most unlikely to occur. Moreover, by providing succinct analyses of the new trend of international cooperation, this valuable resource:

Examines the institutional histories, rationales, varieties, and effects of South-South collaboration. Investigates the occurrence, types, and content areas of South-South transfer, including triangular partnerships and bilateral and regional initiatives. Explores the limits of and possibilities for South-South cooperation in the field of education. Features a formidable combination of perspectives from different parts of the world.

Accessibly written, South-South Cooperation in Education and Development draws together respected scholars who have been working around this topic in diverse contexts, and significantly advances the debate. It will be useful for teaching purposes at undergraduate level, as a reading reference for graduate students, and as a library reference, and academics, international development agencies and NGOs will make frequent reference to it too.