BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Living Freedom - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-WR-CALNAME:Living Freedom
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Living Freedom
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:Europe/London
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZOFFSETTO:+0100
TZNAME:BST
DTSTART:20240331T010000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0100
TZOFFSETTO:+0000
TZNAME:GMT
DTSTART:20241027T010000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZOFFSETTO:+0100
TZNAME:BST
DTSTART:20250330T010000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0100
TZOFFSETTO:+0000
TZNAME:GMT
DTSTART:20251026T010000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZOFFSETTO:+0100
TZNAME:BST
DTSTART:20260329T010000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0100
TZOFFSETTO:+0000
TZNAME:GMT
DTSTART:20261025T010000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250507T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250507T193000
DTSTAMP:20260410T105316
CREATED:20250416T162817Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250422T122541Z
UID:1322-1746640800-1746646200@livingfreedom.org.uk
SUMMARY:Crumbling of the ivory towers: what is the purpose of a university?
DESCRIPTION:This event is free\, but please register using the form below. \n‘When you’re in a hole\, stop digging.’ Sadly\, this ‘first law of holes’\, often attributed to former politician and once Balliol scholar\, Denis Healey\, seems to have bypassed many universities. Despite warnings in recent years about the perils of over-expansion\, marketisation and anti-intellectualism\, reports point to courses closing\, redundancies rising\, bureaucracy increasing\, students becoming dissatisfied\, staff demoralised and standards falling. Notably\, fewer 18-year-olds now elect to go to university and 40 per cent of universities and other higher-education institutions expect to run a loss in this financial year. What are the underlying problems? And what should universities be? What will it take to get out of the hole? \nSome blame the culture wars and the wider politicisation of education. In the US\, a Trump-driven ‘vibe shift’ has caused a reassessment of social-justice priorities and funding for DEI\, but UK universities seem to be doubling down. For example\, newly proposed guidelines aim to make adherence to diversity guidelines a condition of research funding\, raising questions as to how academics assert independence to determine research priorities. ‘Decolonising’ reading lists or eliminating gendered language – even from graduation ceremonies – are said by some to be prioritised over defending knowledge and excellence\, which are now said to be elitist. Do such shifts help explain\, for example\, the devaluation of the arts and humanities\, which are under siege and facing drastic cuts? \nElsewhere\, paternalism can often dominate student life. Some worry that the very notion of the risk-taking\, intellectually autonomous student is drowning under directives on wellbeing and mental health. The chancellor of Oxford University\, Lord Hague\, said universities must not be ‘comfort blankets of cancellation’. But the University of Sussex may be more representative of the new norm with its recent decision to challenge a fine for failing to uphold free speech and insisting on setting guidelines on lawful speech. \nHowever\, some students do seem keen to fight back against a censorious culture on campus – and in some instances\, even sex and gender debates now go ahead largely free of a ‘heckler’s veto’. Are these signs of hope\, or more false promises? \nHow do students and academics who wish to change campus culture navigate questions about critical inquiry\, intellectual independence and academic freedom? Has managerialism destroyed the university for good\, or can it be reformed – and if so\, how? How can – and should – we best harness the spirit of true intellectual endeavour\, inside and outside of universities? \nSPEAKERS\nFelice Basboll\nstudent\, Trinity College Dublin; project assistant\, Living Freedom \nDr Edward Howell\nLecturer in International Relations\, University of Oxford\, \nJohn Maier\nPhD student\, University of Oxford; UnHerd columnist \nCHAIR\nAlastair Donald\nconvenor\, Living Freedom \nPlease enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name *FirstLastEmail *Please answer the question below *			\n				\n											\n						\n						\n											=\n				\n								\n				\n				\n			\n			(This helps to prevent spam. Thanks!)Submit
URL:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/event/crumbling-of-the-ivory-towers-what-is-the-purpose-of-a-university
LOCATION:Gillis Lecture Theatre\, Balliol College\, University of Oxford\, Broad Street\, Oxford\, OX1 3BJ\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:University Salon
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://livingfreedom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ivory-towers-salon.png
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR