By Pavi Sangsuradej, Research Assistant
On Wednesday 26 April 2023, the Centre for Geopolitics welcomed Michael Ignatieff, a Canadian historian and former politician, currently Rector Emeritus of Central European University and Professor of History at CEU in Vienna). His lecture titled ‘The geopolitics of academic freedom’ attracted over 100 registrants at Emmanuel College theatre.
The focus of Ignatieff’s lecture was on the interrelated issues of academic freedom, (il)liberal democracy, and globalization amid rising geopolitical tensions between “the Western world” and China. Ignatieff initiated the term “academic freedom” as a democratic rationale to legitimize knowledge that improves public choice, which does not necessarily equate to the right to free speech. While Western universities were actively engaging with discourse on academic freedom, Ignatieff noted the existence of authoritarian forces, both domestic and foreign, that seek to suppress freedom advocacy activities in universities. For instance, the “War on Woke” movement.
The discussion also touched on the relationships between western universities and universities in authoritarian societies, such as China, that may pose a challenge to academic globalization and freedom. Issues such as self-censorship and overreliance on financial resources from universities in authoritarian societies were explored. Such practices could complicate foreign relations and give rise to race-based hostility against foreign researchers.
In his concluding remarks, Ignatieff expressed hope that universities can do more to defend academic freedom. However, a question raised by one of the audience members regarding recent bias against China in the West served as a reminder that there is still a long way to go in finding solutions to these complex issues.
