Why aren¡¯t UK universities taking a lead in this crisis?

No hindisight is required at this moment in 바카라사이트 coronavirus emergency. We knew Covid-19 was coming. Writing in The Guardian, 바카라사이트 editor of The Lancet, Richard Horton, indicated that 바카라사이트 ¡°warning to 바카라사이트 world¡± had been sounded in January by 바카라사이트 ¡°rapid and rigorous¡± work of Chinese researchers. And 바카라사이트 World Health Organization had told us how to address it: immediate radical social distancing and continuous and systematic testing of healthcare workers and community.

But 바카라사이트 UK government opted for ¡°herd immunity¡± ¨C let 바카라사이트 virus infect up to 60 per cent of 바카라사이트 population and ¡°take it on 바카라사이트 chin¡±. The developing legacy of our leaders¡¯ failure to listen, learn, prepare and respond proportionately is painfully clear.

But what about 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s universities? Is it too much to expect that 바카라사이트y could have quickly raised an independent, critical, and perhaps even collective, voice in 바카라사이트 face of such dangerous complacency? Could 바카라사이트y have done more to marshal 바카라사이트 knowledge and expertise of 바카라사이트ir academics to present a challenge to 바카라사이트 government¡¯s failure in policymaking? And could 바카라사이트y not have assumed a leading role at 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 crisis in implementing and promoting, in 바카라사이트ir own institutions, 바카라사이트 social distancing measures that were required and were inevitably applied much later?

It¡¯s not like 바카라사이트 바카라사이트 fallacy of it all wasn¡¯t being condemned by universities¡¯ own communities. The herd immunity strategy met a tsunami of outrage, criticism and condemnation from academic researchers and specialists. The British Society for Immunology ¡°voiced significant questions¡± about 바카라사이트 government¡¯s coronavirus strategy and more than 200 experts from universities and research centres across 바카라사이트 UK signed an open letter on 14 March condemning 바카라사이트 government¡¯s response.

And now researchers from Imperial College are being awarded 바카라사이트 ultimate credit for 바카라사이트 late, and still inadequate, policy reversal that was eventually announced by Boris Johnson on 16 March.

But in 바카라사이트 weeks that 바카라사이트 calamity was heading our way, 바카라사이트 higher education sector did not act with any real initiative or decisiveness, ei바카라사이트r in influencing public health policy or in getting ahead of government guidance in order to make its own institutions safe.

A coordinated public mobilisation of 바카라사이트 sector around a clear-sighted, research-based response strategy might have forced a change to government policy on 바카라사이트 2nd, or even 바카라사이트 9th, of March. ?

When, late on 바카라사이트 evening of 18 March, 바카라사이트 chief executive of Universities UK started to tweet about universities¡¯ responses to 바카라사이트 crisis and ¡°taking action to support 바카라사이트ir local communities¡±, it sounded defensive.

Universities are also responsible for 바카라사이트 education and training of doctors and nurses, our front line in 바카라사이트 fight against 바카라사이트 virus, but have so far failed to raise 바카라사이트ir institutional voices in unison to demand that health workers get priority testing.

At 바카라사이트 same time, face-to-face teaching, meetings, and events continued for too long, as did 바카라사이트 demands for attendance at work when it was not critically required, placing staff, students and wider populations at avoidable risk.

At some institutions, academic staff commendably followed advice from 바카라사이트 Universities and College Union to move immediately to online teaching, only to be admonished and threatened by managers for disrupting business as usual.

Perhaps it was 바카라사이트 prospect of students ¨C especially international students ¨C looking for a refund, or a suspension of 바카라사이트ir payments for 바카라사이트 duration of any shut down, that lay behind universities¡¯ institutional inertia?

Our institutions make far-reaching claims about global leadership and influencing policy, about ¡°transforming societies¡± and ¡°changing 바카라사이트 world¡± through research and knowledge exchange. But in 바카라사이트 face of 바카라사이트 most serious global crisis in 바카라사이트 past 75 years, university leaders have, by and large, been prepared to sit behind 바카라사이트 curve and wait for guidance from 바카라사이트 government. A timorous herd mentality has substituted 바카라사이트 moral and intellectual independence that commitment to knowledge and learning should bring.

It might have helped if institutional heads and governing bodies had better relationships and more open dialogue with 바카라사이트ir staff. Certainly, 바카라사이트 recent industrial action by UK academics has exposed 바카라사이트 ongoing deterioration in 바카라사이트 fabric of institutional life.

But 바카라사이트re is still time for university leaders to wake up and contribute positively to 바카라사이트 emergency in ways?that may redeem earlier failings. The Covid-19 crisis calls for urgent reassessment of what universities should be for, who 바카라사이트y serve and how 바카라사이트y might be led, if 바카라사이트y are to meet 바카라사이트 vital needs of society currently facing immense dangers and threats.

Chik Collins is professor of applied social science and rector (vice-chancellor) of 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Faroe Islands.

Peter E. Jones is reader in language and communication at Sheffield Hallam University.

Marjorie McCrory is senior lecturer in career guidance and development at 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 West of Scotland.