Leaders in India, Hungary and the US are using appeals to nostalgia and nationalism to attack higher education

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Riyad A. Shahjahan, Michigan State University and Michalinos Zembylas, Open University of Cyprus

(THE CONVERSATION) Harvard University is under siege by the Trump administration – and the world is watching. But this case isn’t just an American issue.

It’s part of a global trend: universities cast as enemies and institutions in need of reform. Populist, right-wing governments are blaming universities for tearing at the fabric of nations.

These attacks are part of a broader strategy known as affective nationalism. It occurs when leaders use emotions, not just ideas, to build national identity. Feelings such as fear, pride, nostalgia and resentment are deployed to create a story about who belongs, who doesn’t and who’s to blame.

As scholars who study nationalism, emotion and higher education, we explore the emotional...