Higher Education and Democratisation in Authoritarian Countries

• In Event: International Mobility and Societal Transformation: Insights from a Global Study

Proposal

This study examines the relationship between higher education and democratisation within authoritarian regimes, addressing a gap in existing scholarship. It explores two main questions: whether the expansion of domestic higher education and international student mobility are linked to democratisation in authoritarian contexts, and how the political environment of host countries influences the impact of international education on democratisation in students’ home countries. Using Biesta's (2009) concepts of socialisation and subjectification and the framework of transnationalism (Vertovec, 2009), this study analyses how education can either reinforce or challenge political orders.
Drawing on cross-national time-series data from 151 countries between 1999 and 2018, the study employs dynamic panel regression models to explore these relationships. The findings indicate that in authoritarian regimes, the expansion of domestic higher education often reinforces existing political structures, limiting democratic engagement. This is because authoritarian governments use educational institutions to promote state ideologies and suppress critical thought, maintaining the status quo rather than supporting democratic change.
In contrast, international student mobility to democratic countries tends to promote democratic values among returning students. Spilimbergo (2009) found that individuals educated abroad in democratic countries are more likely to support democratic values upon returning home. Similarly, Chankseliani (2018) showed that former Soviet states with more students educated in Western democracies exhibited greater democratic development, while those with more students studying in authoritarian settings like Russia experienced less democratic progress. These studies underscore the significant influence of the host country's political context on the perspectives and democratic attitudes of international students. Our findings align with this research, showing that while international education in democratic countries can support democratic engagement at home, its impact is heavily contingent on the host country's political environment.
Thus, this dual role of higher education—as both a tool for reinforcing authoritarian rule and a potential catalyst for democratic change —illustrates the contested nature of education's impact on political development.
This study highlights that the relationship between higher education and democratisation is nuanced, reflecting the contested nature of democracy itself—a concept often viewed with scepticism due to varied interpretations and the gap between its ideals and practices (Kurki, 2010). In an era marked by rising authoritarianism and shrinking democratic spaces, this research underscores the importance of international educational exchanges that expose students to democratic values and calls for reforms within domestic higher education systems in authoritarian countries to nurture democratic principles, critical thinking, and civic engagement. Understanding how higher education can contribute to political change is vital, especially as global political landscapes become more unstable. This study contributes to ongoing discussions about the role of education in societal transformation, advocating for a nuanced view that considers both its potential and its limitations in fostering democratic development in restrictive environments.

Authors

• Maia Chankseliani, University of Oxford

• Joonghyun Kwak, University of Oxford