Transforming the Reproduction of Social Problems

How Alternative Universities in Japan and Korea Redefine Higher Education

Abstract

While universities increasingly address sustainability and social issues, the structural reproduction of social problems inherent in higher education itself remains underexplored. This paper examines three alternative universities that position education not just "for" but "as" (the process and system of) sustainable development itself, and demonstrates higher education's potential for direct impact on systemic transformation of global issues. The paper concludes by discussing alternative universities' role as the "research and development division" for mainstream systems and suggests the potential of the existing PhD by Publication pathway in Japan as a minimal viable product for transforming higher education/academia from the bottom-up.