Student activism has a long history, in higher education in particular. In South Africa, as in other countries in the region, some of whom are covered in the chapters in this volume, student activism was a pivotal part in events which has shaped history in those countries, as was the case in other countries, such as the Penguin Revolution in Chile the past decade. However, despite student activism being an important part of higher education in South Africa and other countries in Southern Africa, student activism has never proceeded to a high position on the Higher Education research agenda (see Wolhuter, 1997, 2014). Accounts and reflections on activism have largely been limited to university rectors and deans relating their personal experience of student activism (e.g. Habib, 2019; Herman, 2020; Jansen, 2018). Welcoming as these may be, the historic and present role (where student activism and the call for the decolonization of higher education are intertwined) of student activism in higher education asks for serious consideration of this topic by scholars of higher education. It is in this regard that this book fills a very concern-raising lacunus.

Prof CC Wolhuter

Comparative and International Education Professor; North-West University;