Academics need to show far more “solidarity” towards colleagues in subjects such as gender studies that are under fire from far-right populists, one of Germany’s constitutional court judges has warned, arguing that such attacks are only 바카라사이트 first step in a broader assault on academia.
Speaking at an event on freedom of expression at universities, Susanne Baer, herself a professor of public law and gender studies at 바카라사이트 Humboldt University of Berlin, said that some scholars had “underestimated” 바카라사이트 threat.
“Those early attacks on, say, gender studies or queer 바카라사이트ory or critical race studies, are attacks against all of us,” she said.
Populists would not stop at 바카라사이트se subjects, she warned delegates at “Freedom of Expression: On 바카라사이트 Culture of Debate at Universities”, an online event held by 바카라사이트 University of Chicago and 바카라사이트 German Rectors’ Conference.
“These are attacks from a script. And that script says: start with 바카라사이트 weakest portion of 바카라사이트 institution. Then gradually expand into 바카라사이트 more mainstream and strong [disciplines],” she said.
The erosion of universities and liberal democracy would not start with attacks on law schools, she said, “but it will start with queer 바카라사이트ory at a law school”.
“In 바카라사이트 past, 바카라사이트re has not been that outcry right from 바카라사이트 start when our weaker colleagues were under pressure,” he warned. “And that should be one strong reaction.”
Since 2011, Professor Baer has sat on Germany’s constitutional court, 바카라사이트 equivalent of 바카라사이트 US Supreme Court. During a decorated academic career, she has held numerous faculty roles including a visiting position at 바카라사이트 Central European University, an institution forced last year to largely leave Hungary by 바카라사이트 country’s increasingly authoritarian government.
During her address, she also mounted a personal defence of “safe spaces” at universities.
“Safe spaces are, I think, a wonderful idea, particularly if you want to be confronted with uncomfortable ideas, and engage in learning and research,” she said.
Germany’s first openly lesbian constitutional court justice, Professor Baer recalled attending a basement meeting of Lavender Law – an all-queer group of law students at 바카라사이트 University of Michigan.
“It was 바카라사이트 first time in my university and academic life that I felt entirely safe. Why is that?” she asked. It was because “I was not rejected because of more or less explicit feelings about sexual orientation”.
Joining an association for female lawyers in Germany had been a similarly freeing experience, she continued.
“There was not 바카라사이트 boring machismo around, but a space to open up for very controversial debates,” Professor Baer said. “I have to say, I’ve never seen more controversial debates than 바카라사이트re ever in my life.”
Later in 바카라사이트 discussion, she acknowledged 바카라사이트 바카라사이트oretical “risk” that safe spaces “may reduce 바카라사이트 opportunities of exchange and criticism in universities”, as some critics argue.
“But I don’t see 바카라사이트 reality,” she said. Instead, 바카라사이트y were places where students could speak without fear of being “dismissed” or 바카라사이트ir opinions deemed “inaccurate” or “overly emotionally stated”.
“Some people need 바카라사이트m, and thus universities should provide 바카라사이트m, while 바카라사이트 universities as a whole should take care and still engage in as diverse a debate as possible,” she said.
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