A good global neighbour: Scotland, Malawi and global citizenship

Abstract

Used to express the international aspirations of Universities Scotland, the idea of the good global neighbour is reflected in the 2005 'Cooperation Agreement' between Scotland and Malawi and represents a challenging metaphor for global citizenship. We develop a critical but sympathetic account of the idea of the good global neighbour and its uptake in Scotland. The notion of the global neighbour is identified as a form of qualified moral partiality, appropriate to the shifting understandings of geographical borders occasioned by globalization. In this article, we highlight that this qualified partiality is reflected in Scottish policy, and its historical basis is also described. Finally, in considering a potential postcolonial criticism of this deployment of the idea of the good global neighbour, we reflect on implications for higher education policy in Scotland and its implicit assumptions about global citizenship.