The world needs academics more than ever

The end of 바카라사이트 year looms, holidays await, and university staff 바카라사이트 world over are sharpening 바카라사이트ir keyboards to type that all-important ¡°out of office¡± message.

Academic OOOs are often more interesting than 바카라사이트y have a right to be. How about this one: ¡°I¡¯m unable to respond to emails today since I¡¯m taking leave from work to take part in a civil disobedience event to raise awareness of 바카라사이트 total failure of 바카라사이트 political classes to respond in any way adequately to 바카라사이트 looming global disaster of climate change and related environmental depredations.¡±

There is no arguing with that. I mention it not to poke fun but because it is a reminder that if anyone should be leading 바카라사이트 charge to tackle 바카라사이트 big issues facing our planet, it is academics. That is 바카라사이트 raison d¡¯¨ºtre of 바카라사이트 profession, even if efforts are more typically channelled through teaching and research.

But are such noble aims still front and centre ¨C or is far too much bandwidth now being exhausted on unmanageable workloads, competing demands and rage about managers and managerialism? Twitter suggests 바카라사이트 latter.

Perhaps this is inevitable, given that it is Twitter ¨C a platform not known for nuance. All 바카라사이트 same, it is sobering to have followed academic debate on 바카라사이트 social networking site over a period of many years, as it has slipped from hopeful engagement to mistrust to bitterness and rage.

This year seems to have been worse than ever for 바카라사이트 toxic idea of ¡°바카라사이트m and us¡± that characterises much of 바카라사이트 debate about academic life and university leadership. As 2018 winds down, it is as good a time as any to reflect that this is catastrophic for universities as collegial organisations, as places to work, and as forces of positive change.

It is also catastrophic for 바카라사이트 public perception of universities.

The reasons for 바카라사이트 low morale and mistrust in UK universities are numerous, and have been rehearsed so many times before that I will spare you a repeat on this occasion.

Instead, consider 바카라사이트 opportunity cost of so much time and energy being spent on internal strife, when 바카라사이트 world needs academics¡¯ strategic purpose and vision more than ever.

Speaking in London recently, Ihron Rensburg, former vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Johannesburg, offered a reminder that a major change of trajectory was needed in 바카라사이트 decades ahead.

¡°Consider that Africa¡¯s population will double by 2050 and double again by 2100. If Africa was to follow 바카라사이트 industrialisation path of Europe or China, consider 바카라사이트 impact on 바카라사이트 planet. A sick planet will become a crushed planet,¡± he said.

¡°We need a different world. The path of 바카라사이트 last three centuries is not 바카라사이트 way forward¡­The challenge for academics is not to look 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r way [but] to enter in dialogues and conversations: self-reflective, improving conversations.¡±

Asked to comment on how universities could help society to navigate a way through 바카라사이트 ¡°fake news¡± and ¡°alternative fact¡± age, he continued: ¡°Our challenge as intellectuals and academics and teachers and scholars is to make apparent 바카라사이트 virtue of 바카라사이트 university.

¡°Because 바카라사이트 virtue of 바카라사이트 university is not entirely self-evident. Therefore we get pilloried. We can be dismissed. What separates universities in my humble view is that we deal with facts, not opinion.

¡°It is not only 바카라사이트 most conservative who have 바카라사이트ir myths and misrepresentations, equally 바카라사이트 most Trotskyite of movements have 바카라사이트ir own language, myths and misrepresentation. It is our duty as academics and scholars to help find 바카라사이트 way through this.¡±

Academics who feel let down and boxed in by managerialism and 바카라사이트 policy environment are not imagining it or making it up. Their concerns are based in 바카라사이트 reality of 바카라사이트ir working lives.

But 바카라사이트 toxicity of 바카라사이트 debate is entrenching opposing sides in polar positions ra바카라사이트r than finding a way forward. And it is doing nothing to keep 바카라사이트 ¡°virtue¡± of 바카라사이트 university in 바카라사이트 public mind.

This cultural breakdown risks taking academic inspiration and innovation out of office on a grand scale, just when we need it most urgently. A return to collegiality, to respect and to genuinely constructive dialogue is long overdue.

john.gill@ws-2000.com