Aside a (yet to be defined) decolonization of knowledge and academia as a whole, I think that south-south cooperation (like the one CLACSO -http://www.clacso.org.ar/- is building up) is a promising way of establishing a non-dependent academia.

Generally, the material background of academic dependency is largely ignored. So, there is quite a number of institutes, universities or academic programs that is not only financed but also controlled by western/northern institutes or countries.

Concerning Latin America, this complex is mostly denied and, therefore, hardly studied. In this region, the most important continental research institution in social sciences, FLACSO (http://www.flacso.org/), has been built up by UNESCO and other institutions of the global north. Nevertheless, most social scientist in the region simply deny an influence, be it economical or directly research-related.

The third world nations of the past are the lucrative business empires for the first world even today. Colonization in its new avatar is persistent and it is never ending. The developed world with its never ending thirst for economic booties is all set to invade the developing and less developed in newer forms by expanding its corporate academic schools. Its all chaos and mess in the developing countries like India today.

The Southern nations must explore their indigenous knowledge and popularize them prominently. They should not give up their exclusive local practices and norms and must document and preserve them for the present and the future generations.

Serious steps towards improving the quality of education are vital. This can only be achieved if the didactic teaching which is common at all levels in the Third World is terminated. To do that not only requires teachers to be better trained, and monitored so that they do what they have been trained to do, but also the provision of more and better learning materials in local languages, and the provision of libraries with supplementary learning material so that school pupils and college students can read around a subject, and learn to think for themselves. Libraries with a range of other material and staff who encourage reading for pleasure and self-learning are also essential elements in innovation. The starting point is getting all this material written and published. Most governments, inter-governmental agencies and NGOs have failed to put in place the joined up policies that are necessary to accomplish this. Yes, its expensive, but it also requires the politicians and administrators to 'think out of the box' - they are products of the system that needs changing. And the current fascination with Information Technology is merely a distraction from the fundamental problems.

Let me add as a sort of footnote that this same phenomenon also inhibits or weeds-out much independent-thinking in Europeans and Americans.

Several interactive and innovative teaching methods have come into force. Yet the developing world is obsessed with monotonous, rigorous mugging up methods that purely and painfully tries to test the knowledge and memory levels forgetting the reasoning, analytic, problem solving and interactive skills. This is resulting in lack of leadership, qualities, creativity, imagination and common sense among the children. They are learning purely for the marks, grades and getting ready for the job market with meager socializing skills.

In order to get rid of this traditional system, certainly we need to have a proper blend of theoretical and industrial course curriculum. In other word we can assess students with practical and theoretical aspects.

The education system in place for each country that is a post-colony should take into consideration the culture of its people. Culture should be seen as a resource because it is a base from which people form identities. If our students are still appreciating what is from the West above what constitute their own, we will continue to be seen as lacking direction.

I totally agree with Arun Kumar, when he points out that there should be a proper blending between the theoretical and industrial course curriculum. Students need to follow qualifications that are needed in our industries in order to boost economy and eliminate unemployment. The academics, politicians and industries should engage each other on a continuous basis to come up with proper analysis.