Review of The University and Social Justice: Struggles across the Globe edited by Aziz Choudry and Salim Vally (Pluto Press / Between the Lines)

Long Row (2016). Courtesy of Judy (CC BY-NC 2.0)

In this edited collection, Aziz Choudry and Salim Vally present reflections and analyses from scholar-activists in education studies, anthropology, literature, and cultural studies describing university-based and affiliated social movements. Through thirteen essays covering case studies in twelve countries, the anthology offers a broad review of student organizing against neoliberalization and more specifically, the privatization of higher education; intersectional and coalitional strategies imagined through these struggles; and alternative modes of knowledge production pre-figured in their organizing. Geographic and disciplinary breadth make the anthology a welcome addition to the growing corpus of (transnational) critical university studies.

We Are Many Youth, But With One Struggle!

A worldwide economic crisis exploded in 2008 that has been deeply consequential. This crisis can be only compared to the 1929 crisis. Powerfully striking at the core of the system, first it shook the United States and now it is developing more intensely in Europe. However, the effects of the crisis can be seen all over the world.

smartAction

Images from an art exhibition inspired by the 2010–2011 University of Puerto Rico student Movement.

La Performatividad Colectiva como Arte Publico: Acción dentro de la Huelga de la Universidad de Puerto Rico / Collective Performance as Public Art: Action inside the University of Puerto Rico’s Strike

In April 2010, the University of Puerto Rico experienced a moment of political convulsion due to a series of measures and budget cuts that the administration tried to implement. These events moved the students to demand a reason for these budget cuts. After not getting any clear or valid answers from the administration, the student body organized a series of protests that lead to an almost two-month long strike. My paper is mainly focused on the artistic manifestations that resulted from the strike. These, from our perspective, can easily ft into what is considered public art, may them be intended as such or not, because they transform the street into a place of dialogue and relationships.