Event

Higher learning in the post-truth age

This event hosted by UK think tank HEPI discusses higher learning in the post-truth age.

What are universities’ responsibilities in an era undergoing profound technological and political change and one marked increasingly by misinformation and declining trust in major institutions?

Professor Duncan Ivison draws on his background in political philosophy, as well as extensive experience in higher education, to explore the place of universities in today’s world. Despite immense challenges—both recently and in the past—universities have proved themselves as surprisingly resilient and adaptable civic and public institutions (so far). But our social license and the very value proposition of a university education is today under pressure as never before. This lecture invites us to reflect on the purpose of universities, how they might continue to serve the public good, while renewing their intellectual and ethical foundation for the future.

The lecture will be introduced by Professor Irene Tracey, the Vice-Chancellor at the University of Oxford, who will give the vote of thanks.The lecture will be followed by an In Conversation with Duncan Ivison and Irene Tracey. They will be joined by the editors of a new series, A Cultural History of Higher Learning (Bloomsbury Academic 2025), which explores the dynamic forces shaping higher learning over the last 2500 years, including the modern era.

Speakers and Panellists

Professor Duncan Ivison – President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Manchester

Professor Irene Tracey – Vice-Chancellor, University of Oxford

Professor Ning de Coninck-Smith – Professor of History of Education, Aarhus University, Denmark, and Anthology Editor of A Cultural History of Higher Learning

Professor Julia Horne – Professor of History and University Historian, University of Sydney, Australia, and Anthology Editor of A Cultural History of Higher Learning

Professor William Whyte – Professor of Social and Architectural History, University of Oxford, and Anthology Editor of A Cultural History of Higher Learning