Programme
Coffee and tea on arrival
14.15-14.20: Welcome by Vice Dean Greta Björk Gudmundsdottir, The faculty of Educational Sciences
14.20-14.50: Courage, Voice and Resilience - Academic Freedom in Authoritarian Times by Professor Supriya Baily, Associate Dean for Academic Administration, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, George Mason University
14.50-15.15: Q&A
Abstract
Attacks on the context and quality of research and on researchers’ intentions and preparation, are neither rare nor are they infrequent. In the United States, however, academics are seeing a dramatic shift emerging from a systemic and systematic assault on higher education across the whole spectrum of fields and disciplines. From the attacks on Critical Theory during the first Trump administration to recent confrontations on freedom, funding and administration, the current context marks a turn where authoritarian pressures have substantially altered the conditions for academic work.
In this open lecture, Professor Supriya Baily provides a personal account and discusses the dangers facing academics in the US and the pervasive influence of right-wing pushback against higher education. How do academics exercise their right to research, teach and engage when their freedom and independence are constrained? Her talk explores all aspects of life in a university — teaching, research and service — and the impacts on faculty, students and staff.
Although rooted in one person’s experience, the issues Professor Baily raises have direct relevance for the Norwegian higher education context: they threaten diversity, undermine equity within our education system, and can erode public trust in our institutions if left unaddressed.
This talk is part of the Faculty of Education Sciences' 30th anniversary series and invites an open dialogue to strengthen our academic community and our global understanding of issues that concern us all.
About the presenter
Professor Supriya Baily is an educator, scholar and activist. She cares deeply about the impact of authoritarianism on education, and has recently authored Bangalore Girls: Witnessing the Rise of Nationalism in a Progressive City. She is professor and associate dean at George Mason University, Fairfax VA and served as President of the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) in 2022.