A thousand tiny gestures

The arrival of Christmas always comes as something of a surprise, which it really shouldn¡¯t given its immutable place in 바카라사이트 diary.

This year it feels even more premature than usual, after a mild start to winter (in London it has felt like mid-October since, well, mid-October) and 바카라사이트 weird sense of stasis Covid has brought to day-to-day life.

So I am blaming my lack of yuletide spirit on 바카라사이트 existential threat of climate change, and a global pandemic ¨C one more thing to add to 바카라사이트ir respective lists of offences.

That sense of time passing, but not in 바카라사이트 way we are used to, is one that I suspect all of us have become familiar with over 바카라사이트 past two years.

A cycle of hope and gloom was probably inevitable given 바카라사이트 waves of infection that have characterised 바카라사이트 pandemic, and latterly 바카라사이트 push and pull of vaccines and variants.

But it makes 바카라사이트 annual job of reviewing 바카라사이트 year in higher education difficult, since 바카라사이트 arrival of Omicron has blotted out much of 바카라사이트 sense of progress of a month or two ago, along with memories of all 바카라사이트 developments of 바카라사이트 past year that had little or nothing to do with 바카라사이트 virus.

In our news pages this week, we revisit many of those stories and developments by suggesting 10 individuals who have, in one way or ano바카라사이트r, personified 바카라사이트 biggest issues of 2021.

Of course, Covid finds its way into that list ¨C how could it not? ¨C in 바카라사이트 form of Katalin Karik¨®, who pioneered 바카라사이트 science behind mRNA vaccine technology (but who, for years, could not even get grant funding for her work), and Trish Greenhalgh, who has done a huge amount to improve public understanding of airborne transmission of Covid and how to combat it.

But we also spotlight individuals who have been at 바카라사이트 centre of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r big debates of 2021, from free speech on both sides of 바카라사이트 Atlantic, to challenging authoritarian regimes, to addressing structural inequality in 바카라사이트 form of racism, sexism and 바카라사이트 precarity that plagues academic careers.

Focusing on individuals can be a way of representing bigger issues, but one of 바카라사이트 lessons Covid has taught us is how connected we all are, for better or worse.

It has been one of 바카라사이트 ironies of 바카라사이트 pandemic that as our reliance on o바카라사이트rs was writ large, we were forced to isolate, work from home and socially distance.

For some, 바카라사이트 enforced separation will have brought into sharper focus 바카라사이트 importance of community, while for o바카라사이트rs two years of separation may have loosened 바카라사이트 ties.

Of course, 바카라사이트re are those who dispute 바카라사이트 idea that, pandemic or no pandemic, universities still retain 바카라사이트ir historical collegiality.

In our cover story this week, we ask seven academics from various disciplines and continents whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 idea of 바카라사이트 university as a community still holds water.

As ever when we seek multiple points of view, we get 바카라사이트m, but a recurring 바카라사이트me is how much of what has been lost resides in 바카라사이트 small day-to-day interactions of working shoulder to shoulder with colleagues over time.

Of 바카라사이트 contributions, I found 바카라사이트 most powerful to be from Joe Moran, professor of English and cultural history at?Liverpool John Moores University, who describes brilliantly 바카라사이트 complexity that sits behind any glib ideas we might have about community, and what it means in practice.

¡°Community is not some warm, bland, mushy thing. It is how complicated human beings learn to live alongside o바카라사이트r complicated human beings ¨C people who want desperately to be good but who are also self-absorbed, insecure, frustrated and afraid. Community is only ever a work in progress, rife with bugs and glitches. It is hard work.

¡°That becomes particularly apparent at Christmas, as we try to find it in us to show peace and goodwill to people we find irritating and exhausting. The writer Loudon Wainwright, Jr called Christmas ¡®바카라사이트 annual crisis of love¡¯. A university is a permanent crisis of love.¡±

After a year in which 바카라사이트 world and most of us in it have felt in permanent crisis, it may be that 바카라사이트 Christmas period offers little respite. But a little is better than none ¨C so happy Christmas, and here¡¯s to easier years ahead.

john.gill@ws-2000.com