Imagining a New Gender Contract for Education

The chapter argues for preparing European institutions for the transformation of knowledge production. Firstly, it delineates the current challenges, refocusing attention on the real dangers. The neoliberalisation of knowledge production, research and educational institutions fundamentally weakens the infrastructure and the transformative potential of knowledge produced. It also contributes to the decentralisation of science, which is driven by transnational cooperations outside the national quality assurance institution. Secondly, it discusses three key elements for a new gender contract—access, content and staff—explaining their relevance. Feminists have been struggling to break the hierarchies and exclusionary practices shaped and transmitted by higher education for centuries. This chapter analyses responses to the recent challenges of de-democratisation, by arguing that scholars should take action to start separate institutions, and decentralisation of science, by arguing that the internationalisation of science can be as threatening to the original mission of education as re-nationalisation. Thirdly, it proposes key policy recommendations. In the end, it argues for a policy change in European Union policies, especially due to the influx of refugee scholars for rethinking Europe. This chapter argues that the seemingly paralysed and non-responsive actors contribute to the spreading of illiberal alternatives in Europe.