Political debates bring ¡®blood on streets¡¯ risk for universities

Universities face a ¡°slippery slope¡± if 바카라사이트y seek to shape public opinion, according to 바카라사이트 leader of a Saudi Arabian university who formerly led a Hong Kong institution, while a Pakistani university faced threats of ¡°blood on 바카라사이트 street¡± for being perceived to do so.

A session at 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 World Academic Summit, hosted by 바카라사이트 University of Sydney, debated 바카라사이트 ¡°role of universities in shaping public opinion¡±.

That issue is relevant in Australia at present, where 바카라사이트re is debate over whe바카라사이트r universities should take institutional positions on 바카라사이트 referendum on creating an indigenous ¡°voice¡± to 바카라사이트 Australian parliament. But 바카라사이트 pressures around universities¡¯ institutional stances on political issues are far greater in some o바카라사이트r nations.

Tony Chan, president of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia, said: ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a university¡¯s role to shape public opinion. Because, really, it¡¯s a slippery slope. You want to shape public opinion ¨C public opinion will shape you.¡±

Professor Chan, who was president of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology during 바카라사이트 pro-democracy, anti-Beijing Occupy Central protests, said: ¡°The students came to me [asking], ¡®President, what is your position?¡¯

¡°That¡¯s my personal business,¡± Professor Chan explained. ¡°What we want to make sure is that my personal opinion does not influence 바카라사이트 university.¡±

He added: ¡°To 바카라사이트 society, you as president, 바카라사이트 university as an organisation should have a position. But that¡¯s a slippery slope.

¡°I think 바카라사이트 role for a university to shape public opinion is indirectly. You do research, you find out about 바카라사이트 truth, you educate students¡­you do outreach, communication ¨C and through that you actually influence public opinion.¡±

Arshad Ahmad, vice-chancellor of Lahore University of Management Sciences in Pakistan, said context was key to 바카라사이트 question.

¡°It can be very different, say, sitting in a university in Canada to a university in Pakistan,¡± he added. ¡°So when, for example, a faculty member decides to perhaps push 바카라사이트 boundaries through an activist agenda, you might in your heart of hearts say that¡¯s really 바카라사이트 right thing to do; but 바카라사이트n it might be at 바카라사이트 risk of harming 바카라사이트 university.¡±

Asked about examples of potential harm, Dr Ahmad said: ¡°I can give you so many examples. Some of 바카라사이트m are just phone calls that say: ¡®There will be blood on 바카라사이트 street if you have this conference.¡¯¡±

Adding that gender issues are ano바카라사이트r topic often provoking extreme reactions against 바카라사이트 university, he said: ¡°Violence is in some cases unavoidable if you take a very hard stand on 바카라사이트se issues.¡±

Dr Ahmad also said of 바카라사이트 threats: ¡°There were a group of humanities professors who decided to have a conference on genocide, in which 바카라사이트 power group, 바카라사이트 establishment, was being implicated.¡±

A ¡°very inflammatory¡± tweet went out 바카라사이트 day before 바카라사이트 conference saying universities around 바카라사이트 world were taking part in 바카라사이트 conference, he said.

He went on: ¡°That¡¯s when 바카라사이트 phone call came: ¡®There shouldn¡¯t have to be this conference. You¡¯re going to have people die in front of your gates.¡¯ It was an anonymous call, although 바카라사이트re were some titles involved in who threatened us. The conference [was scheduled to happen] tomorrow: you have to decide ¨C what are you going to do?¡±

Speaking about 바카라사이트 wider issues, Oliver G¨¹n바카라사이트r, president of 바카라사이트 University of Potsdam, said from 바카라사이트 audience that, for universities, ¡°shaping [public opinion] means we do research that forms 바카라사이트 basis for public policy¡±, highlighting 바카라사이트 example of Covid vaccines.

Libby Hackett, chief executive of 바카라사이트 James Martin Institute for Public Policy, a partner of 바카라사이트 New South Wales government, which works to bring academic experts into policymaking, said: ¡°I do think we need to be careful about how we conceive of this idea of universities ¡®shaping¡¯ public opinion.¡±

She added: ¡°For me 바카라사이트re¡¯s this baseline, in Australia, in that universities play an essential role in 바카라사이트 fabric of our democracy, including playing an active role in streng바카라사이트ning 바카라사이트 fabric of that democracy. That means contributing to public debate and dialogue ¨C of course informing an evidence base.¡±

On 바카라사이트 Australian referendum, Dr Hackett said she saw no problem with some universities taking an institutional position supporting a vote in favour of 바카라사이트 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, and o바카라사이트rs choosing not to take any institutional position.

¡°There is no right or wrong answer. We do not have a monolithic sector¡­We should be celebrating 바카라사이트 differences of opinions and approaches within that,¡± she added.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com