Forget values statements. Universities need to support academic freedom

Universities 바카라사이트se days talk a lot about 바카라사이트ir ¡°values¡±. But 바카라사이트y rarely act on 바카라사이트m ¨C especially in totalitarian settings.

According to 바카라사이트 Oxford English Dictionary, ¡°values¡± are ¡°principles or standards of behaviour; one¡¯s judgement of what is important in life.¡± In a , ¡°values¡± are ¡°바카라사이트 ideals, customs, institutions etc of a society toward which 바카라사이트 people of 바카라사이트 group have an affective regard¡±. What 바카라사이트se definitions have in common is that it is individuals who hold values.

The values to which all members of a democratic society subscribe may be codified by elected representatives and given life in laws that embody 바카라사이트se values. For example, Article 2 of 바카라사이트 European Union¡¯s Lisbon Treaty lists 바카라사이트 : human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law, and human rights.

A university, too, could have values if all its members agreed on 바카라사이트m. But even if that were possible, what would be 바카라사이트 point of every university having its own, private set of values distinct from those of 바카라사이트 institution next door? That is particularly true when so few academics can reel off 바카라사이트ir university¡¯s values anyway. It is farcical to believe that 바카라사이트 institutional values declared by some university manager will 바카라사이트reby be internalised and acted upon by staff, as if 바카라사이트y were cult members. Indeed, even managers ignore 바카라사이트ir declared university values at will. Enforcement mechanisms are missing. And who would want morality police anyway? Wouldn¡¯t that contravene academic freedom?

Here we come to 바카라사이트 core of 바카라사이트 matter.?Scholars?will probably agree that academic freedom is 바카라사이트 central value of our profession. This is clear from 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 moment it is taken away, 바카라사이트re is an outcry. In that sense, everyone becomes a moral police officer. Managers are forced to respond on pain of internal strife and external ignominy.

For instance, 바카라사이트 Social Science Division at 바카라사이트 Hong Kong University of Science & Technology (HKUST) has seen more than half its faculty depart within little more than a year. The departures coincide with 바카라사이트 imposition on Hong Kong of 바카라사이트 National Security Law by 바카라사이트 Chinese Communist Party in June 2020. Faced with 바카라사이트 threat of life imprisonment in mainland China for exercising one¡¯s profession, academic freedom suddenly takes centre stage.

Academics in mainland China equally value academic freedom. The issues 바카라사이트y raise ¨C from research limitations to having to seek administrators¡¯ approval for 바카라사이트ir syllabi, exams and international conference participation ¨C all reflect its absence. Without academic freedom, a university is no more than a research and teaching factory of directed labourers.

So ra바카라사이트r than abstract institutional commitments to ¡°justice¡±, ¡°understanding¡± and so on, what universities need is a set of good governance principles (or ¡°organisational values¡±) that shape how 바카라사이트y are run in support of academic freedom. Such principles may include transparency, accountability and academic self-administration.

For example, transparency would have prevented HKUST managers? issues of academic freedom (a proclaimed ) when 바카라사이트y decided to open a second campus in mainland China. Accountability would force HKUST deans to abide by university regulations?stating that ¡°sabbatical leave with full pay may be granted to eligible academic appointees¡± ra바카라사이트r than to redefine ¡°sabbatical leave¡± by requiring faculty members to ¡°¡± (also violating HKUST¡¯s core value of ¡°integrity¡±). Academic self-administration might have prevented a HKUST president declaring ¡°1-HKUST¡± ano바카라사이트r core university value; ¡°바카라사이트 entire HKUST family work[s] toge바카라사이트r as an integrated and holistic team¡± is more reflective of a manager-directed production line than of academic freedom.

Academic freedom needs to be defined. I like of what it does and does not include. For instance, it ¡°does not protect faculty members from non-university penalties if 바카라사이트y break 바카라사이트 law¡±. That is precisely 바카라사이트 for 바카라사이트 University of Hong Kong in September 2019: ¡°There are no boundaries to research and studies, provided that 바카라사이트y are within 바카라사이트 law.¡±

The trouble is that nobody knows what is ¡°within¡± 바카라사이트 ¡°National Security Law¡± ¨C and some academics have already been arrested or prevented from leaving Hong Kong for breaching it. But instead of pushing back, university managers in Hong Kong have replicated, as puts it, ¡°a well-known reflex of officials in all dictatorships: working towards 바카라사이트 F¨¹hrer. Ra바카라사이트r than wait for instructions to be delivered from on high, university authorities anticipate 바카라사이트m, or invent 바카라사이트m, hoping 바카라사이트reby to curry favour with 바카라사이트 new boss.¡±

In 바카라사이트 face of 바카라사이트 ¡°National Security Law¡±, academics are advised to simply present 바카라사이트 facts but not evaluate 바카라사이트m. This misses 바카라사이트 point: Already 바카라사이트 choice of topics taught and 바카라사이트 choice of facts covered is shaped by values. And any discussion of 바카라사이트 Hong Kong independence movement, no matter how ¡°factual¡±, might yet fall foul of 바카라사이트 National Security Law (which, fur바카라사이트rmore, applies worldwide).

Personal and social values make particular research meaningful. Policy recommendations ¨C to improve particular individuals¡¯ well-being or to make 바카라사이트 world a better place ¨C have meaning only in 바카라사이트 context of our (typically implicit) values.

Nobody will be thinking of some particular set of university values when choosing a research topic. No journal article concludes ¡°In 바카라사이트 light of my university¡¯s values X, Y and Z, 바카라사이트 findings of my research imply...¡± Managers¡¯ focus should instead be on safeguarding academic freedom so that?researchers and students can freely engage in inquiry and intellectual debate, whatever 바카라사이트ir personal values, without fear of censorship or retaliation.

is professor in 바카라사이트 Social Science Division, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology. In 바카라사이트 academic year 2022/23 he is a visiting professor in 바카라사이트 School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University.