By Professor Robert Van de Noort
Universities have long been bastions of free thought and free expression.
Our fundamental purpose is to provide the space and the time for deep study and questioning of knowledge.
This might sound a bit pompous. But freedom of speech and academic freedom really are the starting points for everything we do.
At Reading, from nearly a century of history as a University – and further back than that as a University College – we have plenty of examples where our academics and our students questioned the conventions that others were happy to accept. And their work broke new ground for others to follow.
In the 1900s, Edith Morley successfully challenged the college authorities on why she could not be promoted to Professor, at a time when there were no other female professors in England.
In the 1950s, my predecessor John (later Lord) Wolfenden oversaw the government report that suggested homosexuality should be decriminalised – a view that was far from the mainstream at the time, and which took another decade to become law.
In recent years, some people have raised concerns about an apparent erosion to the principles of academic freedom and freedom of speech on campuses across the UK. The issue has so concerned the government that a new law has been enacted to encourage universities, and students’ unions, not just to protect freedom of speech, but to promote it.
Last week, I was invited to an event in Parliament exploring some of these issues. It proved to be an illuminating debate.
I think the arguments around freedom of speech have focused too much on ‘cancel culture’ and a small number of cases where there has been resistance to external speakers. Yet there are some more concerning trends.
This is not about the culture war or ‘woke’ agendas. It is about the more insidious threat of group think and echo chambers.
It is perhaps understandable human nature to begin to adopt the positions and ideas of the people around you. But it’s vital that our students learn to question what they see and hear, and it’s crucial that our academics can do the same.
This is where being part of our local community is so important.
As a University, it’s vital that we reflect on and express the ideas of all the people around us. Your daily challenges across your lifetime – your career, your cultural passions, your family’s health – come from the same big questions for which we are seeking answers.
Equally, universities should play a role as hubs of knowledge, debate and innovation. Our campuses should act as a public forum for the free exchange of ideas. Our events, public lectures and facilities offer local people valuable opportunities to hear diverse perspectives.
The core mission of universities – advancing knowledge through open inquiry – relies on academic freedom. If censorship were to take root on our campuses, our remit, and our surrounding communities, would suffer.
That’s why I am heartened when I see people in Reading and Wokingham protesting, debating, and standing up for what they believe in. Please keep at it – and join us in continuing to question received wisdom.
Professor Robert Van de Noort is the vice-chancellor of the University of Reading
