The “University World News” portal published this Friday (22) the first report special about the conference international “New Nationalism and Universities”, including article by the rector of Unicamp, Marcelo Knobel, in partnership with professor Renato Pedrosa, on “New trends in student activism”.
The international conference, held in November at the University of California at Berkeley, celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of the Center for Studies in Higher Education. Alumni and academic leaders from around the world, including the rector of Unicamp, discussed the growing nationalism and populism in its different forms and their impacts on the missions and activities of universities.
The article chronicles the recent student movement starting with the free pass demonstrations in 2013, recalling the student movement at the University of Córdoba, whose centenary we will celebrate in 2018 and which “marked a turning point for higher education in the region, including Brazil” . Knobel and Pedrosa declare that “student voices must be heard and understood and the spirit of 1918 must provide a vision relevant to our time.” In fact, recent developments pose challenges for university administrations, which need to stimulate deeper dialogue between community members, in a context of extreme polarization, and take a step forward when possible sources of conflict emerge.
The authors conclude by stating that “intolerance is definitely a threat to academic freedom and autonomy, which are central components of the university’s ethos, and must be confronted wherever it appears.”
Watch lecture by rector Marcelo Knobel
