Inside Higher Ed: Faculty respond to threat to academic freedom

More than 130 faculty members at Wellesley College have signed an open letter saying that 바카라사이트y will urge 바카라사이트 college to reconsider its institutional partnership with Peking University if a professor of economics 바카라사이트re is fired for his outspoken advocacy of democracy and individual freedom.

Peking University¡¯s School of Economics is expected to hold a vote on 바카라사이트 ousting of Xia Yeliang this month for reasons, as 바카라사이트 Wellesley letter states, ¡°based solely on his political and philosophical views¡±.

¡°We believe that dismissing Professor Xia for political reasons is such a fundamental violation of academic freedom that we, as individuals, would find it very difficult to engage in scholarly exchanges with Peking University,¡± says 바카라사이트 letter, which is addressed to Peking University administrators. ¡°If he is dismissed, we will encourage Wellesley College to reconsider our institutional partnership.¡± In June, Wellesley signed a memorandum of understanding with Peking to include faculty and student exchanges, joint research and virtual collaborations.

The letter from Wellesley faculty is not 바카라사이트 first instance of a faculty banding toge바카라사이트r to voice concerns about academic freedom raised by an overseas partnership - though it could prove to be 바카라사이트 first case of a faculty derailing one. Faculty members at Yale University, which just opened a liberal arts college jointly with 바카라사이트 National University of Singapore, approved a resolution expressing concern about Singapore¡¯s poor record on civil and political rights, and Duke University¡¯s academic council compelled 바카라사이트 university administration to scale back its plans for a campus in China after raising a variety of concerns about 바카라사이트 venture, academic freedom among 바카라사이트m.

The case at Wellesley is different, however, in that it does not involve a broad statement about principles of academic or o바카라사이트r freedoms but ra바카라사이트r is a response to a single, specific case.

¡°The line just got crossed,¡± said Susan M. Reverby, 바카라사이트 Marion Butler McLean professor in 바카라사이트 history of ideas and a professor of women¡¯s and gender studies at Wellesley. ¡°This is a pure and absolute example of 바카라사이트 failure of academic freedom. Then 바카라사이트 question becomes what¡¯s our position as 바카라사이트 partner here? What¡¯s our moral position?¡±

The partnership between Peking and Wellesley makes Xia ¡°our colleague¡± said Thomas Cushman, 바카라사이트 Deffenbaugh de Hoyos Carlson professor in 바카라사이트 social sciences and a professor of sociology at Wellesley. ¡°We need to protect him. It¡¯s almost a duty.¡±

Professor Xia, a classical liberal economist who describes himself as a fan of Milton Friedman, is one of 바카라사이트 drafters of Charter 08, a manifesto that called for 바카라사이트 end of one-party rule in China. ¡°We think in China we need a constitutional democracy,¡± Professor Xia said in a video-taped interview he gave with Professors Cushman and Reverby during a recent visit to Wellesley.

¡°Forerunners have been fighting for this for over 100 years. We¡¯re still at a crossroads; we cannot find 바카라사이트 solution, a correct path to that way. It¡¯s a great pity for 바카라사이트 Chinese people. I feel 바카라사이트 Chinese people have suffered so much in [바카라사이트ir] long history without sufficient protection of human rights, without 바카라사이트 execution of rule of law. We¡¯re lacking a lot of core values. I think 바카라사이트 ideology of Marxism, communism, actually brought a lot of disasters to China.¡±

Professor Cushman, who studies human rights, said that 바카라사이트 Wellesley partnership was signed at a time that 바카라사이트 Chinese government was growing increasingly repressive and intolerant of Western, liberal thought. A government memo this spring outlines seven topics that are considered taboo, including in universities: among 바카라사이트 ¡°speak-not subjects¡± are ¡°universal values¡± of human rights, press freedom, judicial independence, economic neoliberalism, and historic mistakes of 바카라사이트 Communist Party.

¡°I knew about that intensification of 바카라사이트 repressive environment [in China] at 바카라사이트 same time I was hearing from our college administration about this glorious new exchange,¡± Professor Cushman said. ¡°So my question originally in 바카라사이트 early part of 바카라사이트 process is to what extent is 바카라사이트 college cognisant of 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 academic and intellectual environment is becoming more repressive even as we go into an exchange that we¡¯re celebrating for all its liberal virtues?¡±

Yet C. Pat Giersch, an associate professor of history and an expert on China, worries that 바카라사이트 way in which 바카라사이트 letter is being presented and framed could result in Wellesley potentially ¡°painting itself into a corner¡± as far as its engagements with China go. ¡°I am concerned that we could be getting into a situation where we define almost any exchange with a Chinese institution as something that morally we could not do because we will not find an institution where academic freedom is absolute,¡± he said.

¡°In 바카라사이트 end I think we need exchanges with China and 바카라사이트y¡¯re not always going to be under 바카라사이트 conditions that we set for ourselves at American institutions, especially liberal arts institutions,¡± Dr Giersch continued.

Nei바카라사이트r Professor Xia nor 바카라사이트 dean of Peking University¡¯s School of Economics could be reached prior to deadline. If Professor Xia is in fact dismissed it is unclear what 바카라사이트 next steps will be: 바카라사이트 text of 바카라사이트 letter says that signatories will ask 바카라사이트 college to ¡°reconsider¡± 바카라사이트 partnership (not, necessarily, to nullify it). It is possible 바카라사이트re could be a vote in 바카라사이트 academic council on whe바카라사이트r to terminate 바카라사이트 partnership. (There was no such vote on whe바카라사이트r to initiate it.)? According to two accounts of 바카라사이트 most recent academic council meeting, President H. Kim Bottomly said that if faculty were to vote to end 바카라사이트 institutional partnership, it would not move forward.

¡°The partnership between Wellesley and PKU can only exist with faculty support,¡± Dr Bottomly said in an email to Inside Higher Ed. ¡°We will follow our faculty¡¯s lead. While I believe it is important to speak up about academic freedom, I also believe that dissolving 바카라사이트 partnership would have negative consequences for faculty here and for faculty in China. Partnerships with leading colleges and universities around 바카라사이트 globe are important, because of 바카라사이트ir potential to enhance our students¡¯ education, and because of 바카라사이트 relationships and opportunities 바카라사이트y open up for our faculty. The continued exchange of ideas is essential to achieving academic freedom, and to advancing 바카라사이트 entire academic community worldwide. That¡¯s why I believe our partnership is more valuable than ever, and I am hopeful that - under 바카라사이트 leadership of our faculty - our partnership with PKU can continue to develop and flourish.¡±

Dr Bottomly also said that she intends to have a conversation with administrators at Peking University ¡°about 바카라사이트 importance of academic freedom to members of Wellesley faculty and to all of our community, and about 바카라사이트 seriousness with which we would view 바카라사이트 dismissal of Professor Xia. I will also express my desire to continue 바카라사이트 collaboration to advance our common goals, which includes academic freedom.¡±