Sugata Mitra | Science, Colonialism and the European Consciousness

In Newcastle, Realize Europe had a conversation with Sugata Mitra who has profound disruptive views on education, learning, and self-development. He became famous with his hole in the wall experiment in 1999. Currently, he is a professor of Educational Technology in the school of communication and Language Sciences at the University of Newcastle and Chief Scientist, Emeritus at NIIT.

In a story with poetical elements, Sugata gives us insight into European history and culture. He challenges Europe to make historical steps for a more humane future.

What is the concept of Europe? Can we, for instance, speak of European food?

As an intellectual, born in a former European colony, Sugata Mitra reflects on the two faces of the former colonial power.

Europeans should take pride in the fact that they created a world using their inventions, their thoughts, and their sciences. They should not take pride in some elements that colonialism brought to the world.

Is Europe capable of realizing these two figures? Can they experience the feeling of not taking pride in introducing some technologies in other parts of the world?

We can take pride in the Greek treasure of culture and architecture, but not in the way we blame the Greeks now.

He talks about examples of how Europe enriched other parts of the world by its great cultural insights. Europe enriched itself with elements of many cultures but is failing to look back and appreciate what others did for them.