Rise of the Cosmonative Citizen: Re-imagining the Role of University

Globalization has ushered in the era of knowledge economy that is defined as an economy with greater reliance on intellectual capabilities than on physical inputs or natural resources (Powell and Snellman, Annu Rev Sociol 30:199–220, 2004). Universities have been the primary agents in this process, and from being centers of nation building to providing academic and vocational training to students to being the engines of economic growth, their role has certainly become difficult to clearly demarcate. This entry discusses the dual role of how universities play a pivotal role in producing a knowledge economy and as agents of potential “emancipation.” Producing knowledge citizens with a cosmopolitan outlook is a major benefit of internationalization, and in this context, the entry introduces the concept of the “cosmonative citizen,” understood as a citizen who not only has developed cosmopolitan dispositions but has also developed local indigenous skills and knowledge relevant for the growth of the knowledge economy. In the background of rising populist ideas, we argue that fostering this “cosmonative” citizen can not only act as a rejoinder to populism but is a win-win solution for a developing economy like India where “trade” in knowledge is still unfavorably one way. Universities, who have both local and global responsibility, should become the primary agents for this process.