Tracing the footprints of returning international students in Pakistani context: A capability approach analysis
Dr. Tayyaba Tamim highlights the need for Pakistani higher education research to embrace diverse voices, challenge systemic exclusions, and foster inclusive knowledge production that values marginalized perspectives and advances equity.
In the rapidly evolving field of higher education research, the ways we frame and define "knowledge" often determine whose voices are heard and whose remain marginalized. This paper challenges traditional knowledge systems in higher education research by exploring how silences, exclusions, and absences shape what we understand as legitimate knowledge. It calls for a critical rethinking of research practices to create more inclusive and equitable frameworks.
The study focuses on examining epistemic injustices within higher education research. It highlights how dominant paradigms often prioritize certain perspectives while sidelining others, particularly voices from the Global South, marginalized communities, and non-traditional forms of knowledge. The paper argues that addressing these silences is essential for reimagining higher education research as a more just and representative field.
The paper asks pressing questions such as:
- How do silences and absences shape the field of higher education research?
- In what ways do current research practices reinforce exclusionary knowledge systems?
- What would it mean to decolonize and democratize higher education research?
- How can researchers embrace plurality and resist epistemic injustice?
The paper reveals that dominant research frameworks in higher education often perpetuate exclusions by privileging Western-centric paradigms. These silences are not accidental but systemic, deeply embedded in methodologies, publication practices, and institutional structures. It highlights that knowledge production is often shaped by power relations that determine who gets to speak, whose work is cited, and what counts as "valid" research. Importantly, the paper shows that resisting these silences requires not just critique but an active embrace of diverse voices, epistemologies, and contexts.
The silence and absence in higher education research are not neutral; they reflect whose voices and experiences are legitimized as knowledge and whose are erased.
The impact of this work lies in its urgent call for transformation in higher education research. By foregrounding the need to challenge epistemic injustices, the paper paves the way for more inclusive scholarship that values marginalized perspectives and fosters genuine plurality. Looking ahead, it advocates for:
- Expanding research methodologies to include voices often excluded from dominant discourse.
- Building global academic solidarities that go beyond token inclusion.
- Reimagining the very purpose of higher education research as a tool for justice and equity.
Associate Professor and Dean School of Education
Co-author: Dr. Faisal Bari (Director Academics, SOE, Associate Professor, LUMS)
This paper was published in the International Journal of Educational Research.
