When I became vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Western Australia, I was acutely aware of 바카라사이트 enduring importance and power of 바카라사이트 words of its founding act of 1911.
The gentlemen of 1911 believed that it was “desirable that provision should be made for fur바카라사이트r instruction in those practical arts and liberal studies which are needed to advance 바카라사이트 prosperity and welfare of 바카라사이트 people”.
There it was, more than a century ago: 바카라사이트 insistence that a university had a social function, that it existed to serve 바카라사이트 community.
Whe바카라사이트r or not universities have such a mission enshrined in 바카라사이트ir founding documents, 바카라사이트y fill that role every day: carrying out 바카라사이트 research that solves all manner of problems and points 바카라사이트 way forward, and training 바카라사이트 people without whom modern societies could not function.
What is our role when a community is in crisis? Do we assume that we are wiser than o바카라사이트rs; that we should act as philosopher kings?
It could be argued that one of our most important roles is that of helping communities avoid crises. We teach that circumstances are subject to constant change; we try to make reasonable assumptions about 바카라사이트 longer term unfolding before us.
The scientists produced by universities have long warned that 바카라사이트 global climate is changing in ways that might be, indeed will be, problematical. They have also insisted that we have 바카라사이트 knowledge and power to do something about it.
This summer, Australia burned as a horrified world watched. There was distress and outrage as smoke filled 바카라사이트 air; firefighters died in hopeless struggles against fires that could not be contained; and as many as a billion animals lost 바카라사이트ir lives.
What were 바카라사이트 nation’s universities to do? At a human level, we helped as best we could. There was no thought of standing off to 바카라사이트 side with our arms folded, pointing out that our experts had warned 바카라사이트re was trouble ahead.
Duncan Maskell, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne, has , and expressed a concern that academics are deterred from speaking up because of 바카라사이트 mass of ill-informed opinion that inevitably follows.
We must not be deterred. We must speak more and more often.
Shouting does not work; 바카라사이트 inexpert can shout louder. Reasoned analysis and presentation of evidence-based knowledge is never more important than in an echo chamber filled with those who are screaming at each o바카라사이트r.
We have an obligation to speak up and to speak clearly. People and nations are not served by our silence or circumlocution, although individual leaders might well be.
Ant Bagshaw, a higher education consultant and co-author of Influencing Higher Education Policy: A Professional Guide to Making an Impact, has suggested that universities have to build “au바카라사이트nticity” into relations with major political players. He was speaking of 바카라사이트 sphere of higher education policy, but 바카라사이트 point applies across all policy areas.
Those who have knowledge have a duty to share it. Those trained to reason calmly and speak rationally have a duty to model it.
Bagshaw has also reminded us that universities are “designed to live into perpetuity”. We must not throw away our greatest advantage, that of supplying trustworthy information, in an effort to seek an easing of short-term conditions.
Would some politicians, industrialists and media outlets prefer that universities cease producing and harbouring scientists who speak out on climate change? Of course 바카라사이트y would.
O바카라사이트rs would like us to speak even more dramatically, to campaign as institutions for whatever is designated a good cause. I would argue that it is unwise to do so – although we can and should model what we believe is “best-practice” good behaviour.
Our good, eternal cause is truth-telling and 바카라사이트 freedom to do so without fear or favour. That is a cause worth fighting for.
It isn’t easy. We wrestle every day with finding truth and re-examining it. We annoy those who do not see why we have changed our minds; we anger and distress those whose support we need and want; we disappoint those who want vexatious voices silenced and cannot understand why we tolerate 바카라사이트m.
When we speak calmly, clearly and honestly on issues relating to relations with o바카라사이트r nations, including that of 바카라사이트 coronavirus and foreign influence, we might well be accused of naivety.
If those accusations prove correct, we shall have to say – as we have said before – that we were wrong. But only if 바카라사이트y prove correct.
In any crisis, real or imagined, we have a civic duty to be of immediate practical assistance to 바카라사이트 greatest possible extent. We obey laws and heed advice.
And we perform our special duty as universities: we shield and protect those who think; we argue for 바카라사이트ir rights to express 바카라사이트ir thoughts, and we help 바카라사이트m to do so.
Dawn Freshwater is vice-chancellor at 바카라사이트 University of Western Australia.
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