ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines, cosmopolitan thought has much to offer the practice of higher education in the contemporary era. The strengths of the cosmopolitan approach lie in the insights it gives us to understand the human consequences of globalisation. These understandings enable us to investigate the contradictions inherent in our contemporary lives and the ways in which shifts at the global level are expressed in everyday human interactions. In order to demonstrate the value of cosmopolitan thought for higher education practice, this chapter outlines the evolution of the cosmopolitan concept, and the context in which this has occurred. It identifies the three main strands of cosmopolitan thought and then focuses on the social project and its potential for higher education practice. It summarises the main ways in which cosmopolitan thought helps us to understand contemporary reality and then discusses its potential value for higher education.
