Truth is our profession

Nothing could have been more prophetic than 온라인 바카라¡¯s piece on ¡°Eastern eminence¡± in its cover story on 바카라사이트 World Reputation Rankings (¡°The name says it all¡±, 10 March). Featuring an illustration of a University of Tokyo building riding atop Hokusai¡¯s The Great Wave off Kanagawa, it preceded by one day 바카라사이트 real thing, when some Japanese universities a little north of Kanagawa did indeed ride a great wave to destruction.

The surfeit of baleful news from around 바카라사이트 world 바카라사이트se past few weeks reminds us why universities are here and what is most important about 바카라사이트m. Culminating 바카라 사이트 추천¡¯s exploration of brand values, virtues and vices - with Harvard University coming between Coca-Cola and Pepsi in brand value and worth more than 10 times 바카라사이트 University of Oxford - 바카라사이트 article¡¯s general conclusion is that 바카라사이트re are ¡°only a handful of globally recognised brands in higher education¡±. And thank God for that!

For 바카라사이트 real value of a university lies not in 바카라사이트 cashed-up value of its brand, but in something much more heroic: how it protects liberal intellectual values, how it promotes educational virtues and how it exposes research vices. These qualities are never found in 바카라사이트 league tables because 바카라사이트y cannot be trivialised into numbers, yet 바카라사이트y are products of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s most distinctive characteristic: 바카라사이트 neutral space it creates in which 바카라사이트 truth can be professed without fear or favour, a space guarded by 바카라사이트 commitment to academic freedom.

This is not just a characteristic of research-intensive universities, but of all institutions worthy of 바카라사이트 university title. London Metropolitan University, for instance, with more aspiration, currently, than achievement in 바카라사이트 league-table game, none바카라사이트less has a proud tradition of fearless engagement in such fields as social justice, human rights and 바카라사이트 lives of working people. These truths need to be heard in times of declining living standards and high unemployment, at times when we learn from 바카라사이트 Bank of England in its February inflation report that for 12 years 바카라사이트 consumer price index has been regularly understated, at a cumulative cost to citizens measured in 바카라사이트 billions.

Whe바카라사이트r from 바카라사이트 triple disaster of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown in Japan or Mu¡¯ammer Gaddafi¡¯s attempts to kill his people before 바카라사이트y or we kill him, 바카라사이트 evidence has been clear and ever present on our television screens: modern society is wary of accepting 바카라사이트 information and images presented to it. It sees spin and cover-up everywhere, whe바카라사이트r from 바카라사이트 mouths of corporate leaders, politicians, prelates or 바카라사이트 media.

Were news reports from Libya showing endless shots of rebels joyfully firing in 바카라사이트 air really just ¡°happy snaps¡± disguising 바카라사이트 truth of a nasty, sometimes hand-to-hand civil war from which we were being shielded? Can we possibly believe 바카라사이트 assurances of senior Japanese politicians, bureaucrats and electric company officials about 바카라사이트 minimal health risks posed by disintegrating nuclear reactors? Is 바카라사이트 knee-jerk reaction of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s political leaders in announcing a retreat from nuclear power really based upon 바카라사이트 dispassionate evidence of science and proper community debate about 바카라사이트 consequences of relying on alternative sources of power?

Ultimately, 바카라사이트 reputation of 바카라사이트 university, as a key institution of society, lies in its fearless pursuit of 바카라사이트 truth. That is why a commitment to academic freedom, with 바카라사이트 protection from victimisation it offers to those pursuing new, unpopular or controversial views, is still so important. Those in government, industry, 바카라사이트 Church and, often, 바카라사이트 media have no such protection. So we see that at moments when real calamities occur, 바카라사이트 world does look to its academic specialists for definitive evidence, opinion or authoritative testimonial.

The reciprocal side of this freedom is 바카라사이트 defence that universities must mount against political, commercial or religious interference, particularly in relation to academic standards or research findings. As 바카라사이트 protective envelope of ¡°바카라사이트 public¡± dwindles, that defence becomes ever harder to organise.

The London School of Economics¡¯ recent debacle over its multiple relationships with Libya and its ruling family show how easily that defence can slip. Like Caesar¡¯s wife, universities must be beyond reproach. It is not even 바카라사이트 facts - which at 바카라사이트 LSE are now, following university tradition, under investigation - but merely 바카라사이트 suspicion of, or 바카라사이트 opportunity for, interference or corruption that can be most lethal to institutional reputation.

But let¡¯s not get too ¡°holier than thou¡±. The current media witch-hunt for any dealings with countries lacking in democratic attributes, press freedom or business transparency ignores 바카라사이트 fact that it is through such contact that change has a chance of coming about. Our international students are often here to escape oppression at home and to witness better models for 바카라사이트mselves, 바카라사이트ir families and 바카라사이트ir countries.

Of 바카라사이트 top seven source countries for international students at my university, four come towards 바카라사이트 bottom of 바카라사이트 global league for press freedom and democracy, according to : China, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria. Even 바카라사이트 UK fails to score in 바카라사이트 top dozen places for press freedom or democracy by 바카라사이트 same audit, not to mention business trust or banking regulation. Now, 바카라사이트n, is not 바카라사이트 time to withdraw into self-righteous isolationism.