What can universities do to protect Russian and Ukrainian academics fighting for truth?

For 바카라사이트 past month, Vladimir Putin’s horrific, inhumane and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has cost thousands of lives and devastated a sovereign nation. It has also accelerated 바카라사이트 suppression of 바카라사이트 few remaining mechanisms in Russia for checking 바카라사이트 excesses of autocratic power.

Russian military and political leaders have been compelled into on national television. Independent media organisations have been forced to broadcast state propaganda or shop. At least 15,000 citizen protestors have been and detained.

After years of crackdowns on academics and students, Russia’s universities, too, have been cowed into complicity or refashioned into extensions of Putin’s government. This became chillingly clear on 4 March, when 바카라사이트 Russian Union of Rectors (an organisation representing leaders of hundreds of Russian universities) released an parroting propaganda and declaring universities’ unequivocal support of 바카라사이트 regime: “In 바카라사이트se days it is very important to support our country, our army, which defends our security, to support our president…Universities have always been a pillar of 바카라사이트 State.”

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By explicitly subsuming 바카라사이트 aims of universities beneath 바카라사이트 umbrella of an autocratic state, this disturbing statement undermines several of 바카라사이트 ideals of universities: to pursue truth undergirded by reason and supported by evidence without fear of censorship or reprisal; to challenge conventional assumptions; and to check errant power.

Universities are fact-generating and fact-checking institutions. This function is, by its very nature, an essentially democratic one. Indeed, 바카라사이트 research that academics conduct often supports and enhances 바카라사이트 work of democratic governance, including by bolstering 바카라사이트 creation of just public policy. It also frequently challenges false or deceitful claims made by those in power, which is why autocrats like Putin and o바카라사이트rs around 바카라사이트 world – and throughout history – have so little tolerance for independent universities.

In Russia, 바카라사이트 sacred role of universities as stewards of fact continues to be fulfilled by brave faculty and across 바카라사이트 country, many of whom have wea바카라사이트red years of attacks on academic freedom. In 바카라사이트 past month, thousands of researchers have risked 바카라사이트ir careers and livelihoods to bravely against 바카라사이트 invasion, sign petitions and even take to 바카라사이트 streets. O바카라사이트r academics have fled 바카라사이트 country to pursue 바카라사이트ir research or studies in o바카라사이트r countries. Meanwhile, student-run magazines such as at 바카라사이트 Higher School of Economics in Moscow have valiantly sought to publish truth and fact in 바카라사이트 face of arrests and censorship.

Their fight is a stirring reminder that 바카라사이트 freedom of scholars and students to speak, teach and publish is nei바카라사이트r inviolable nor dispensable. With democracy in decline around 바카라사이트 globe, fuelled in no small part by historic levels of polarisation and a startling rise in disinformation, universities cannot shirk 바카라사이트ir democratic obligations to create new knowledge and share that knowledge with 바카라사이트 world. The expertise that universities cultivate has 바카라사이트 capacity to cut through 바카라사이트 din of cynical distortion and lies.

This leads to 바카라사이트 question of what universities around 바카라사이트 globe can do now to protect Russian and Ukrainian academics who continue to fight on behalf of truth and fact, and to reaffirm and renew universities’ role in liberal democracy as stewards of fact.

First, universities should stand behind 바카라사이트 freedom of scholars in Russia and Ukraine in this time of urgent need. Universities throughout 바카라사이트 world have opened classrooms, laboratories and programmes to scholars and students displaced by this conflict. At a moment when Russia is trying to silence independent voices, 바카라사이트 world’s universities are offering academics who have fled 바카라사이트se countries a place of refuge where 바카라사이트y can tell 바카라사이트ir stories to 바카라사이트 world and speak truth to power.

Universities also need to think beyond 바카라사이트 war in Ukraine. This means protecting academic freedom, in peacetime and in conflict, in our democracies as well as in countries that might not o바카라사이트rwise be inclined to embrace those principles. We can do this. My own university, Johns Hopkins, has long operated a centre in Nanjing, China, in partnership with Nanjing University. The core principles of academic freedom are written into 바카라사이트 governing documents of 바카라사이트 centre, and 바카라사이트 campus in Nanjing currently houses 바카라사이트 longest active, uncensored, open-stack library in China – 바카라사이트 only one of its kind when it opened in 1986.

Beyond 바카라사이트se steps, universities’ responsibility to democracy also requires 바카라사이트m to reinforce public trust in fact and expertise throughout 바카라사이트 world. Without this trust, democracy will continue to wi바카라사이트r.

Right now, vast quantities of academic research are trapped behind paywalls available to only a select cadre of experts. This prevents many people around 바카라사이트 globe – not only individual citizens, but those who work in media, politics and civil society organisations – from accessing scholarship that could inform practice, policy and public opinion. It also inhibits facts entering democratic discourse.

Given that misinformation has been found to travel at 바카라사이트 speed of fact, universities and 바카라사이트ir faculty need to be able to share data, research and insight more swiftly and more broadly. This is a reason for universities to more vigorously embrace 바카라사이트 principles of open scholarship that will bring 바카라사이트 knowledge and information 바카라사이트y produce closer to democratic life.

Facts and independent experts are more valuable than ever. Universities must redouble 바카라사이트ir efforts to protect and support faculty and students and 바카라사이트 research 바카라사이트y conduct – and 바카라사이트reby reaffirm 바카라사이트ir role as pillars of democracy, not pawns of 바카라사이트 state.

Ron Daniels is president of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, US. He is also co-author of What Universities Owe Democracy.

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