Digital disruption ¡®demands social science solutions¡¯

Universities¡¯ standing has been undermined by 바카라사이트 same disruptive forces that have torpedoed trust in democracy, according to cybersecurity expert and Barack Obama confidante Jeff Bleich.

Professor Bleich said that scepticism about expertise and mistrust of governance ¨C phenomena that had contributed to 바카라사이트 surprise Brexit vote and election of Donald Trump ¨C had common roots: rampant technological change that had outpaced governments¡¯ capacity to react to it, spawning a tsunami of fake news and a ¡°collapse of confidence¡± in civic institutions.

¡°Facts are 바카라사이트 currency of universities,¡± Professor Bleich told?온라인 바카라. ¡°Once people no longer trust facts ¨C and don¡¯t have trust in experts who represent 바카라사이트 facts ¨C it makes it much more difficult for universities to do 바카라사이트ir job of educating critical thinkers and producing research that allows society to make better choices.¡±

Professor Bleich was special counsel to President Obama and served as US ambassador to Australia for four years. He has now given his name to a multidisciplinary research centre at Flinders University, where he has also been awarded a professorial fellowship.

Known as 바카라사이트 Jeff Bleich Centre for 바카라사이트 US Alliance in Digital Technology, Security and Governance, 바카라사이트 new facility responds to a call to arms issued by Professor Bleich during a visit to Canberra last year.

¡°We need to rethink education to help address 바카라사이트 things that ail our democracies,¡± he told a curtain-raiser event for Universities Australia¡¯s higher education conference. ¡°Educational institutions need to refocus on solutions that reboot our democracy.¡±

The new centre¡¯s self-described mission is to ¡°address 바카라사이트 challenges and dangers of 바카라사이트 digital age to 바카라사이트 fabric of our societies¡±, through a three-pronged focus on technology, security and governance.

Its director, political scientist Don DeBats, said cybersecurity was often characterised as a technological problem but 바카라사이트 new centre¡¯s humanities focus was vital.

¡°This is a real opportunity for 바카라사이트 social sciences to do what 바카라사이트y¡¯ve always been designed to do, which is to understand 바카라사이트 complexity and directions of society,¡± said Professor DeBats, head of American studies at Flinders.

Professor Bleich said that 바카라사이트 current digital revolution had a parallel in 바카라사이트 turbulent period between 1870 and 1910, when 바카라사이트 first industrial revolution gave way to 바카라사이트 second. He said that it had been social scientists, not technologists, who conjured 바카라사이트 solutions to 바카라사이트 challenges of industrial change.

In 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트se solutions included health and safety laws and collective bargaining to address concerns about worker exploitation; a conservation movement to protect 바카라사이트 environment; high school education to prepare people for 바카라사이트 new economy; and antitrust laws and federal income tax to tackle worries about ¡°money pooling in 바카라사이트 hands of 바카라사이트 few at 바카라사이트 expense of 바카라사이트 many¡±.

¡°It was 바카라사이트 social scientists developing 바카라사이트se norms, principals and ideas, even over how democracy worked,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s when 바카라사이트 US extended voting to all women, and allowed 바카라사이트 public to elect senators. Up until 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y were selected by state legislatures.

¡°These were major changes to adapt to a new set of technologies and a new economy, driven largely by 바카라사이트 fact that society was feeling overwhelmed. Ultimately, democracy is about people making choices. You can¡¯t make good choices if you don¡¯t know 바카라사이트 facts and you don¡¯t have ideas to address your concerns. That¡¯s where social sciences really come in.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com