Perhaps more than ever, universities have become a geopolitical battlefield. In Hungary, Prime Minister Orban’s effective ejection of the Central European University provoked widespread controversy. In Western countries, especially the United States and the United Kingdom, the hope of engaging with Chinese students clashes with concerns over spying and the potential theft of intellectual property. Closer to home, the continuing tensions over Brexit have spilled over into the academic sphere with the European Union’s suspension of the UK from the Horizon Programme on account of the disagreements over the Northern Ireland Protocol. To discuss these, and related matters, the Centre for Geopolitics has invited Professor Michael Ignatieff to reflect on what these disputes tell about the international struggles of our day, what they mean for academia, and where they may be heading.
Michael Ignatieff is a Canadian historian and former politician, currently Rector Emeritus of Central European University and Professor of History at CEU in Vienna. His many books include ‘The Needs of Strangers’, ‘Isaiah Berlin: A Biography’, ‘Fire and Ashes: Success and Failure in Politics’, and he recently published ‘On Consolation: Finding Solace in Dark Times’.
