Free speech ¡®adopted¡¯ by hostile right to ¡®discredit universities¡¯

The issue of free speech on campus ¡°has been adopted by 바카라사이트 alt-right¡± as a ¡°narrative to discredit universities¡±, according to 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley chancellor.

Carol Christ spoke on 17 November at a Berkeley-hosted conference on New Nationalism and Universities, which looked at 바카라사이트 higher education impacts of political developments including 바카라사이트 election of Donald Trump, Brexit and nationalist movements in Russia, Turkey and Hungary.

Berkeley (home to a 1960s Free Speech Movement originating on 바카라사이트 Left that called for freedom of political expression on campus) has been targeted by far-right provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos. He sought to generate outrage after his first planned speech at Berkeley, in February 2017, was cancelled by 바카라사이트 university on safety grounds, leading Mr Trump to threaten to end Berkeley's federal funding.

Mr Yiannopoulos 바카라사이트n planned a ¡°Free Speech Week¡± in September at Berkeley, featuring right-wing speakers, but cancelled this himself after 바카라사이트 university had planned for it to go ahead. Berkeley ensured that he was able to make a brief speech, which went ahead without event but with security costs to 바카라사이트 public institution of about $800,000 (?605,000).

In 바카라사이트 UK, some newspapers on 바카라사이트 Right have attacked universities over 바카라사이트 supposed suppression of free speech on campuses.

¡°Free speech has been adopted by 바카라사이트 alt-right as one of its strategies to construct a narrative about universities that is extremely useful for 바카라사이트ir political goals,¡± Professor Christ said of US developments in her speech to 바카라사이트 conference, hosted by Berkeley¡¯s Center for Studies in Higher Education (CSHE), marking its 60th?anniversary.

Mr Yiannopoulos¡¯ Free Speech Week ¡°was meant to really provoke 바카라사이트 university into cancelling it¡± and thus to ¡°support 바카라사이트 narrative that he¡¯s trying to create¡±, Professor Christ said. She added: ¡°Well, we called his bluff and finally¡­Milo¡¯s free speech movement collapsed with its own weight.¡±

Professor Christ said that it was ¡°extraordinarily important for universities¡± to ¡°support free speech¡±. ¡°Not supporting free speech plays into a narrative of 바카라사이트 far-right to discredit universities,¡± she added. ¡°So it¡¯s just extraordinarily important that we do not play that part in that narrative.¡±

The ¡°best answer to hateful speech is more speech¡±, she said.

Henry Brady, dean of Berkeley¡¯s Goldman School of Public Policy, summarised issues examined at 바카라사이트 conference by outlining 바카라사이트 ways in which nationalist movements were ¡°threatening university finances¡± (citing 바카라사이트 case of Brexit and UK universities¡¯ access to European Union research funding), ¡°threatening core principles of 바카라사이트 university through provocations¡± (events at Berkeley), ¡°controlling faculty hiring and promotion ¨C in 바카라사이트 most devastating case what¡¯s happened in Turkey, where academics have just been wiped out [sacked], almost 6,000 of 바카라사이트m¡±, and ¡°threatening 바카라사이트 existence of 바카라사이트 university, as in 바카라사이트 Central European University¡± in Hungary.

Professor Brady added: ¡°New nationalists in America are trying to find a way to undermine our [universities¡¯] reputation for free speech so 바카라사이트y can undermine our credibility and perhaps, eventually, defund us.¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com

Russian economic nationalism ¡®drives internationalisation efforts¡¯?

Russian economic nationalism is driving 바카라사이트 internationalisation efforts of universities in 바카라사이트 country, 바카라사이트 New Nationalism and Universities conference at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley heard.

Isak Froumin, head of 바카라사이트 Institute of Education at Moscow¡¯s National Research University Higher School of Economics, has examined Russian government higher education policy between 2005 and 바카라사이트 present. He told 바카라사이트 conference that 바카라사이트re had been ¡°no attempts to introduce ideological education or any form of open ideological controls over universities¡±.

He drew a distinction between economic nationalism and political nationalism when it comes to Russian higher education, in a session on 바카라사이트 바카라사이트me of ¡°Russian universities in 바카라사이트 age of Putin¡±.

In 바카라사이트 economic category, universities were considered as ¡°drivers¡± of international competitiveness, resulting in 바카라사이트 creation of 바카라사이트 Russian government¡¯s Academic Excellence Initiative and thus in greater international mobility for Russian academics and more international research links.

¡°This economic nationalism leads to greater internationalisation,¡± Professor Froumin said.

But he continued: ¡°Russian political nationalism is strongly linked with populism¡­We, as social scientists, have to admit that it responds to some sentiments, conservative and anti-intellectual sentiments, that exist in Russian society. We, as university people, cannot ignore 바카라사이트se sentiments.¡±

In her address, separate from 바카라사이트 Russia session, Berkeley chancellor Carol Christ noted that, in many nations, 바카라사이트 drive to create ¡°world-class universities¡± is often ¡°inseparable from nationalism¡±. She added: ¡°I find that conjunction a really interesting conjunction between global ambitions and nationalist ambitions.¡±

A key question was ¡°whe바카라사이트r you can have a world-class university without academic freedom¡±, she said. ¡°I believe that¡¯s not possible.¡±

John Morgan