Universities are a public good. Universities are also in crisis throughout the Anglosphere. Scholars have mapped the slow erosion of the sector over three decades: the rise of a permanent senior management class on vast salaries, development of university governance systems divorced from academic values, steady reduction in public funding, and sustained antagonism towards the sector in government policy. Opportunistic management consultants are now a fixture: their “solutions” drive widespread cuts to individuals and disciplines, further increase burdens on staff, and reduce opportunities for students.
What has this got to do with bioethics? That is the question animating this panel.
We invite the Australasian bioethics community to a conversation about what is happening in your institutions, and how we might resist effectively. The session is convened by two bioethics academics in the throes of change management, but it’s not about us as individuals. We will be seeking out colleagues from other countries and institutions to join us to facilitate the discussion (please get in touch if you can help).
The panel session will include both small and large group discussions. We especially want to focus on the next generation of bioethics scholars: how can we, in the present, fight more effectively for their future? Please come, bring your stories of how you are faring, and, most importantly, bring your biggest and best ideas for how we, as a community, can more effectively fight back.