One of the beauties of the Netherlands and the thing I cherish much in the western world is her culture of reformation. Admitting that a certain ideology and culture has become outdated, uncivilized and should be changed needs a virtue called courage. This makes the Netherlands and the Western world unique. The closing of certain academic’s courses supposed to be a very welcome and courageous step.

The news that some faculties like Religion, theology, Africa studies, South America studies, foreign languages, Asia studies and so on in the Netherlands Universities will be closed or reduced evokes different reactions. I normally do not react to news because of time factors and work to be done.

In my newly published book this month October 2024, RACISM, DOES IT REALLY EXIST?

I reflected on the academic institution’s role in the discovery and gatekeeping of the many headed monster called RACISM, and some other topics in our society that are politicized. The faculties of humanity, theology, religion and so on played an important role in negative image formation of groups of non-European descendants’ people in European perception.

In my new book, I reflected on certain academic subjects which were provoking to my mind, spirit and soul. Any complaint from African scholars goes to the dustbin because the professor knows better and surely an African cannot know better than a European, was the arguments. Some were punished for having an opinion against their professor’s own. It will be a good idea to start them afresh with more input from scholars of those areas the course covers. This will give the academic institutions the chance to contribute positively to a new society and culture of justice. The academic institution has played a gatekeeper role in what people should know and think, and thereby contributing massively to some shameful topics in our present society. 

The idea of racism is purely academic discovery based on false fallacies and ungrounded in any form of creation truth. I have reflected and searched this topic; I do not see or find anything beneficial to human beings coming out of it. Only evil and wickedness in different forms and levels. Even though, it can often or only be found when economic advantages are at stake for the privileged. It does not make the false ideology elegant. It breeds pains, shame, shy and discord which often ends up in enmity and hurtful experiences. Simply, nothing good comes out of it.

When you truly analyze and scrutinize some of the subjects and literature in the light of what is going on in today’s world. When you ask about the subjects and literature used in the courses, what should be going on? When you truly want to see a better society and world, then academic reform becomes inevitable.

In some cases, the courses can be provocative to the mind when searched with truth.  It is a welcome initiative to close some faculties. But I hope a new one will start like we have the Bible Old and New Testament or First and Second Covenant. 

Understanding that the reason of the closure is lack of interest or lack of enough students. In other words, the courses are no more lucrative to the institutions. The academic reflection is whether the soul and mind of people of nowadays can digest the content of those courses in our present better-informed public. Reformation of those courses should be a civilized step to follow. 

Our multicultural society needs education reformation to accommodate the reality of our daily life. It prepares the students better to work in the society when the theory and practical are merged in the classroom and when the literatures reflects the reality. The outsiders when such literature was written are presently insiders. Those things said and taught about them when they were outside the border/continent are being scrutinized and can be very provocative to their mind and soul. Which can only create tensions among groups and discord instead of unity. What we see happen in politics can be traced back to academic education and formations. There is a need to see something better; therefore, there is a need to reflect on the academic education. Closing can be excellent news if it gives room for reformation and new start. Some scholars’ opinion ruling from their graves need to be scrutinized and do away with their ideology. Such decisions need courage.

The virtue of courage is needed because it gives way to other virtues. Virtues being  basic part of academic education and upbringing.