Higher Education Futures Beyond the Anthropocene : Mobilizing the Power of Science, Art, and Imagination

The multifaceted nature of the ecological crises cannot be solved through research solely focused on technoscientific solutions, but requires a critical interrogation of underlying assumptions about culture, education, and social change. Drawing on decolonial and ecofeminist critique, this article starts with a discussion of the current global climate inertia and the way higher education institutions are implicated in the status quo. It then considers whether and how the current modern/colonial higher education system could be reimagined ‒ and reconfigured ‒ to stimulate a cultural shift toward planetary sustainability. What is the role and responsibility of higher education in fostering the critical imagination necessary for cultural transformation in the face of the Anthropocene? How can we mobilize the power of science, art, and imagination in responding to the climate emergency? How can we reshape the relationship between higher education and planetary sustainability in ways that effectively integrate different knowledge ecosystems, bridge the research-practice divide, and prioritize planetary wellbeing? The article concludes with a mini case study of Arizona State University to illustrate both the challenges and opportunities, as well as contradictions and complexities, in reconfiguring the modern/colonial structures as we begin reimagining higher education futures beyond the Anthropocene.