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Career readiness in the post-career world

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  Careers are no more. Like the one my father used to have. Or the one I aspired for. The rituals of entering, the legitimate peripheral participation followed by genteel progression into the inner circle, marked by ever greater material possessions and social prestige - they are no longer real. But the idea of a career is the cornerstone of middle class life. In fact, it is middle class life. From the start - choice of school, grades, university ranking, traineeships - to the end, the dreams of retirement, putting one's children on the same path, the middle class life arc is a projection of mid-twentieth century career. How many young men I met who have been inspired to study law after watching The Suits? They are all inspired by Mike, they say. Yet, Mike is post-career, a hustling entrepreneur more than a lawyer. If they want a career path of the sort law schools offer, ...
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Of endings and no beginnings

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 I am at that point in life that all I want is quiet. There is a certain sweetness in failure. A life I started has come to an end; definite, irrevocable end. First time, this end is not about a beginning. I always feared this, but having arrived, I feel what Kundera called an unbearable lightness. What burden did I lose? I guess it is my former self. Bounded forever by my upbringing, the crushing sense of responsibility coupled with a liberal faith in infinite improvability of others. From over the edge of life, I see how I got things mixed up: My grandfather's generation carried the responsibility because everyone else did, my father's generation believed in improvability because the going was good. But, at the same time, my grandfather would have believed only a few, distinguished by character, deserved attention; my father's generation would not have assumed the responsibility for others.  Losing the faith is like losing myself. I have been a coalition-builder; somewhat...
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The limits of power

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A conversation with a self-avowed right-wing (and Trump admiring) friend made me think what I really think is wrong with America's Iran war. But let me start by acknowledging the differences of our political standpoints first.  First, my friend thinks that America's military might is enormous and it has the ability, and therefore the right, to shape the world in its image. I do not think that America's might is limitless, and it has been proven many times over, in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq. It has largely failed to shape the world in its image, and therefore, it should be more circumspect about getting involved in foreign wars. Second, he also thinks that Iranian regime was repugnant, which has killed tens of thousands of its citizens, and should therefore be overthrown. My view is more nuanced on this: I do not believe what the mainstream media (like the BBC says) and I don't follow Persian channels to balance the English language narratives. Therefore, I am not 10...
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Rain of ruin, or..

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 I am trying to ascertain what historical moment we are living through. Should we compare this with 27th May 1905, the  Battle of Tsushima, the moment when the anti-colonial self-confidence emerged in Asia? That an underdog - Japan then, Iran now - can win in an assymetric battlefield is an important lesson. Iran hasn't really won, or can win, but that it did not submit easily will count. This would change the calculus of the alliances: An Arab leader today would be circumspect about its alliances now. Whatever started after Saddan Hussain's invasion of Kuwait would now end. Of course, the United States can destroy Iran with its superior firepower, but it can only do so at a great cost. Bringing all its firepower in the Middle East may open the space for China in South China sea, and even Russia in Europe, and indeed, this could spiral into a world at war. I am hoping that won't come to pass, a situation when no one would win. But if Marco Rubio was lecturing the European l...
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The new wars

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It is hard to explain my feelings about the war in Iran.  I have no particular love for the regime, growing up, as I did, with the shadow of Khomeini's fatwa on Salman Rushdie. But like many others, I saw the Islamic Revolution as a part of anti-colonial movement. When Saddam, backed by the Americans, attacked Iran, my sympathies were with the Iranians. That Persia/ Iran is standing on a civilisation thousands of years old, and with which, as a Bengali, my own has a great affinity, was an idea that was ingrained in my thinking. It was an integral part of how I think: East vs West, Coloniser vs the Colonised, Old world vs the New world! But I see Trump's war not so much against Iran but against the rules that we were all supposed to follow, and this is why I am even more upset. Since when 'eliminating' a country's leadership by assassination become a legitimate thing to talk about? If they didn't know that they were starting a forever war, they were stupid: And o...
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History comes alive, again!

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 Are we in a new world, or witnessing the end of the old one? As I write this, the US and Israeli forces have attacked Iran. Iran has retaliated by sending missile barrages towards Baharin, Qatar, UAE and Israel. Trump is calling for a regime change in Iran and wants to install the son of deposed Shah. Not quite the way of the world I knew, where there was at least the figleaf of international law used by countries wanting to attack one another. I feel pity for Keir Starmer. As far as I am aware, his government is trying to fix Britain's institutions after the stupidity of Brexit and fifteen years of Tory assault on public economy and straightlaced corruption. But Sir Keir has no courage to do something or say something openly. He appears like Trump's poodle, and Trump is a difficult master even to be a poodle too. Therefore, notwithstanding whatever his government is doing, he looks like a joke. He is hollowness personified, and at moments like this, he could as well be a holo...
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Three questions for designing a new college

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My New Year's resolution is not to wait any longer, but to get on with what I have always wanted to do: set up a new higher-education institution. I have been waiting forever. Not that I haven't tried, but I have ended up taking the wrong route a few times. Each time I learnt, I have learnt about the merits and considerable challenges of for-profit higher education, and how to balance the different interests to do something innovative. I have learnt about international markets and the rapidly changing expectations of the students. I have taught and know firsthand what social media has done to students' attention and commitment. Having tried project-based learning, I have seen its possibilities and also why it does not work at scale. But, in the learning mode, I was forever waiting - doing various projects adjacent to what I r...
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