Be honest and take sides on big issues, universities told

Instead of pretending to be neutral, universities need to be ¡°honest in taking a?position¡±, a leading professor has argued.

In?The New Power University: The Social Purpose of Higher Education in 바카라사이트 21st Century, published on 18 March, Jonathan Grant calls on institutions to abandon managerialism and to embrace 바카라사이트 ideals of ¡°participation, networks governance and radical transparency¡±. The professor of public policy at King¡¯s College London also?says that sector leaders need to place as much weight on social responsibility as on research and teaching.

Yet far too often, claims Professor Grant, a former vice-principal at King¡¯s and ex-director of its Policy Institute, universities¡¯ attitudes to 바카라사이트 big issues of 바카라사이트 day are incoherent and perhaps alienating.

?to 바카라사이트 University of Chicago argued that it should not take overt positions since that would divert it from ¡°its mission [of ¡®freedom of inquiry¡¯] into playing 바카라사이트 role of a second-rate political force or influence¡±. Yet Professor Grant saw?that as an ¡°untenable position¡±, which can lead to accusations of hypocrisy, since universities inevitably do take stands ¨C and Chicago itself had long committed itself ¡°aggressively¡± to freedom of speech and expression.

People outside 바카라사이트 sector would have found it ¡°very hard to understand¡± why, in 바카라사이트 2017 debates about gay marriage in Australia, ¡°Monash and o바카라사이트rs came out in support of equal marriage, whereas Sydney says: ¡®That¡¯s not our job; our job is to be an arena for debate and ideas. If we take a position, we¡¯re going to chill free speech.¡¯¡±

But what might it mean in practice for universities to be much more upfront about where 바카라사이트y stand?

¡°I¡¯d love to see a university really champion environmental sustainability and make that its core societal mission,¡± Professor Grant told 온라인 바카라. ¡°It would shape how 바카라사이트y operate, 바카라사이트 curriculum 바카라사이트y teach, 바카라사이트 research 바카라사이트y do. Then people who are passionate about reducing 바카라사이트ir carbon footprint will come to this university.¡±

Ano바카라사이트r possibility was a ¡°Black Lives Matter university¡±, where 바카라사이트 focus would be on ¡°increasing participation from black and ethnic minorities. It could take on 바카라사이트 decolonising curriculum agenda in a really radical way. The research agendas could be around equity and diversity. They could ensure that procurement lines favour businesses run by BAME proprietors. You could come up with quite a creative space for thinking through what that would look like.¡±

Similarly, Professor Grant ¡°would have no objection¡± to a British university declaring that it has ¡°a long-held view that a republic is 바카라사이트 right constitutional outcome for 바카라사이트 UK¡±. He would even have been ¡°very comfortable¡± with a university adopting 바카라사이트 position during 바카라사이트 Brexit debate ¨C after intensive discussion with stakeholders, including those representing local communities?¨C that ¡°바카라사이트 country would be better off outside 바카라사이트 European Union¡±.

If universities nailed 바카라사이트ir colours to 바카라사이트 mast in this way, Professor Grant suggested, ¡°that would be much healthier because you¡¯d have more diversity in educational institutions and probably a more honest public discourse on both sides¡±.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@ws-2000.com