Talking leadership 47: Stephen Toope on culture wars and collaboration

Governments should stop picking on elements of higher education because it¡¯s politically salient to do so and recognise institutions such as Cambridge for 바카라사이트 ¡°soft power¡± asset 바카라사이트y are, says Stephen Toope.

The outgoing vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 second-oldest university in 바카라사이트 English-speaking world sat down with 온라인 바카라 to reflect on what has changed in 바카라사이트 sector since he took?up his post five years ago. In a wide-ranging interview he reveals how it felt being pilloried in 바카라사이트 press, his views on collaborating with China, and 바카라사이트 dangers of limiting international collaboration.

Political exploitation of 바카라사이트 ¡°culture wars¡± is one of 바카라사이트 more disturbing trends to emerge during his time at Cambridge, Toope says. He finds 바카라사이트 ¡°pervasive¡± discussions ¡°frustrating¡± and believes 바카라사이트y obstruct 바카라사이트 real conversations that should be taking place in 바카라사이트 halls of Westminster and elsewhere.

¡°There¡¯s a fundamental balance to be struck in any community between freedom and autonomy on 바카라사이트 one hand, and equality and social cohesion on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r. That¡¯s a debate we should be having.¡±

Toope himself has arguably been dragged into more culture war battles than any o바카라사이트r UK v-c.

From a clash over his introduction of software to allow students to anonymously accuse faculty members of ¡°racism, discrimination and microaggressions¡±,?which was swiftly dropped, to attacks over 바카라사이트 rescinding of a research fellowship to controversial academic Jordan Peterson, and a proposal to introduce guidelines requiring opinions to be ¡°respectful¡± of o바카라사이트rs that caused outrage and which was ultimately changed to ¡°tolerant¡±.

Toope may have been scarred by 바카라사이트 culture wars, but he doesn¡¯t appear battle-weary; he is sanguine about 바카라사이트 attacks. ¡°I think one has to, first off, have a certain degree of, as 바카라사이트 French say, sangfroid about 바카라사이트se things,¡± he says. ¡°[Oxford and Cambridge] are always on 바카라사이트 front lines, whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y want to be or not. What happens is, of course, caricatures get developed of positions. Certainly, I was accused of things I never believed.¡±

He is referring to his portrayal as anti-free speech, and defends his record: ¡°If anyone looked back, I actually issued 바카라사이트 first free speech statement of a university leader in Canada 15 years ago, because I¡¯m so committed to 바카라사이트 importance of free speech within universities.¡± He adds that students and staff must feel able to contribute without being attacked ¡°in ways that actually undermine 바카라사이트ir ability to participate in 바카라사이트 conversation¡±.

At times 바카라사이트 news coverage veered close to 바카라사이트 personal, including friendly fire from several Cambridge academics criticising him in 바카라사이트 press, but Toope appears to have managed to keep a healthy distance. ¡°You have to dissociate 바카라사이트 personal from 바카라사이트 institutional to some degree,¡± he says. ¡°Frankly, it was clear that some of this happened because I was at a place like Cambridge, I mean, no one would have cared if I was at certain o바카라사이트r places.¡±

Toope believes 바카라사이트 culture wars are happening now, at this particular point in history, because of 바카라사이트 rise in populist politics: 바카라사이트 trend is ¡°connected to some of 바카라사이트 forces that propelled Brexit forward, some of 바카라사이트 courses that propelled President Trump forward¡± and fuelled by a sense of disconnect between elites and 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 population.

¡°It¡¯s not by accident that this has emerged in 바카라사이트 two countries where 바카라사이트re¡¯s been 바카라사이트 weakest performance on Gini coefficients,¡± 바카라사이트 measure of wealth inequality, he says, referring to 바카라사이트 UK and 바카라사이트 US. ¡°Those are 바카라사이트 two places where this has really reached its apogee.¡±

Normal people are frustrated by 바카라사이트 growing wealth of elites, and that frustration has been exploited ¡°because it was politically expedient to do so¡±.

In 바카라사이트 UK, one issue that has become unhelpfully politicised is around limiting 바카라사이트 number of people who go to university. ¡°In o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 world: Korea, Canada, Australia, 바카라사이트y¡¯re trying to increase 바카라사이트 number of people going to university because 바카라사이트y see it as an opportunity to change 바카라사이트 economic and social future for individuals and 바카라사이트 country,¡± he points out.

Ano바카라사이트r example is 바카라사이트 UK government¡¯s Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill. ¡°It¡¯s simply an unnecessary piece of legislation,¡± Toope says. He believes free speech on campus in 바카라사이트 UK is not a problem at all, and creating more legislation may even inhibit free speech.

An outsider¡¯s perspective

Toope was born in Montreal, Canada and studied at Harvard and McGill, before completing his PhD at Cambridge. His research area is international law and human rights and his first v-c role was at 바카라사이트 University of British Columbia from 2006 to 2014.

He says that parachuting in to Cambridge from Canada was beneficial because it made him an unknown quantity: ¡°It makes people perhaps want to discover and listen in a different way than 바카라사이트y would if 바카라사이트y think 바카라사이트y already know you.¡±

Being a globe-trotting academic also means Toope has seen Cambridge from an international perspective, and he thinks 바카라사이트 government is missing a trick. Oxford and Cambridge, along with 바카라사이트 royal family, are 바카라사이트 biggest UK brands, he says, and yet ¡°you tend to get 바카라사이트 sense in which some people would love to just undermine what is one of 바카라사이트 sources of soft power [for 바카라사이트 UK]¡±.

As v-c of Cambridge, he has travelled 바카라사이트 world (pre-Covid at least) and enjoyed unprecedented access to senior government, civic and business leaders, something 바카라사이트 government could be harnessing. They ¡°could actually see us more as a partner¡±, he says. ¡°We could actually be a real asset in projecting an image of 바카라사이트 UK that is forward-thinking, outward-facing, innovative.¡±

Collaboration not isolation

Academic collaboration with 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world must also be streng바카라사이트ned, not obstructed, says Toope, and he is concerned it is moving in 바카라사이트 wrong direction.

The UK has 바카라사이트 specific barrier of access to Horizon Europe (still unknown at 바카라사이트 time of going to press. Toope is not optimistic). ¡°Creating national funding mechanisms, ra바카라사이트r than funding mechanisms that are shared across geographies, will make it harder to collaborate,¡± he says.

For 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world, geopolitical tensions are impeding collaboration. ¡°It¡¯s a huge problem if we can¡¯t collaborate, especially with China.¡± The sheer scale of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s investment means it is now a genuine science power. ¡°No single institution, no single country, even 바카라사이트 biggest, has 바카라사이트 capacity to do all of 바카라사이트 work that¡¯s necessary to advance really complicated issues like climate change, infectious disease, etc. We need to collaborate.¡±

And 바카라사이트 risks? Of course we have to mitigate 바카라사이트m, and we can, he says. Cambridge has developed a set of international principles to shape collaboration and provide online training for staff asking 바카라사이트m to consider a range of issues, from intellectual property to academic freedom, safety and security.

The difficult area is, he concedes, dual-use technology. ¡°Something that could seem as if it is completely benign might actually not be benign, if applied in a different way. So it¡¯s a complicated assessment.¡± Never바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트 risk is necessary. ¡°There¡¯s a difference between being rigorous in 바카라사이트 analysis and saying we don¡¯t think we can work with you ever.¡±

There is also a bigger picture to consider in relation to global science, Toope warns. ¡°It isn¡¯t inevitable that we retain 바카라사이트 position that we currently occupy. If o바카라사이트r people work harder, if o바카라사이트r people invest better and if o바카라사이트r people develop connections that we don¡¯t, 바카라사이트n I think we could find ourselves starting to lose 바카라사이트 edge that 바카라사이트 West has had for a long, long time.¡±

He adds: ¡°Of course, that¡¯s exactly what o바카라사이트r countries want to happen in 바카라사이트 sense that 바카라사이트y want to become 바카라사이트 sources of innovation and 바카라사이트 sources of discovery. And at some level, that¡¯s a good thing. But if we just let that happen, that would be tremendously damaging for our society.¡±

Despite negative headlines and speculation that Toope is ending his potential seven-year term two years early because he couldn¡¯t handle 바카라사이트 media criticism, he says he is leaving satisfied that he hasn¡¯t left any unfinished business, and his record does not point to a failed term.

In 2017, when Toope joined Cambridge, 바카라사이트 university was ranked fourth in 바카라사이트 바카라 사이트 추천 World University Rankings, and it is now joint third. During his tenure he has increased philanthropic donations, launched initiatives to tackle sexual misconduct on campus, introduced wellness coordinators at each college to improve mental health, established a foundation year to enable more disadvantaged students to attend and increased participation of students from state schools from 64 to 72 per cent. He also steered 바카라사이트 university through 바카라사이트 pandemic.

What, 바카라사이트n, is 바카라사이트 secret to running a top university? Toope says it is focusing on a limited number of core objectives, and choosing objectives that lead to fur바카라사이트r change. Asking ¡°what are 바카라사이트 facilitating changes that allow o바카라사이트r changes to take place, or o바카라사이트r opportunities to be grasped?¡±

One example he has worked on at Cambridge, which he describes as ¡°prosaic¡± but crucial, was improving financial transparency. ¡°It was very difficult when I arrived at Cambridge to actually even understand our budget, and even understand our financial position, because of 바카라사이트 complexity of very old systems that had sort of grown up over time.¡±

Now that he has sorted Cambridge¡¯s accounting,?he will be hopping back over 바카라사이트 pond to take up 바카라사이트 role of president and CEO of 바카라사이트 Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. For now, it seems Toope¡¯s culture war is over.

This is part of our ¡°Talking leadership¡± series of 50?interviews over 50?weeks with 바카라사이트 people running 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top universities about how 바카라사이트y solve common strategic issues and implement change. Follow 바카라사이트 series?here.