ABSTRACT
For the last fifteen years, the university has been suffering from an identity crisis. Under the impact of globalization and postmodernism, the university has been undermined sociologically and epistemologically (Barnett 2003). In a globalized, knowledge economy, universities have been coopted as instruments of economic growth and social inclusivity whilst competing not only among themselves but also with scores of new knowledge producers, such as corporations, consultancies, research centres and think tanks. Just as universities have moved centre stage economically, the value of their basic resources – knowledge, truth and reason – has been deflated by postmodernism, with its emphasis on language, power and local narratives. A debate has ensued about the positive and negative implications for the university and, more fundamentally, about whether the university retains credibility either as a functioning institution or as a concept embodying certain ideals.
