In a society facing overlapping crises, climate change, biodiversity loss, housing shortages and political polarisation, the role of universities is also changing. According to Nooij, values and activism have long been part of academic research and teaching, but often only become visible when the issues are socially sensitive.
Taxonomy of academic activism
To better understand where the boundaries lie, Nooij (Institute for Environmental Studies) introduces an ascending scale for activism in the lecture hall. It ranges from activities that are always permissible, such as naming uncomfortable facts about climate change, to practices that are not permissible under any circumstances, such as intimidating students because of their beliefs.
In between is a spectrum of 'light' and 'moderate' forms of activism, such as guest lectures by activists or sharing personal perspectives. Whether these are appropriate depends on context, transparency and teachers' duty of care.
Three case studies
The research by Nooij and his colleagues from Utrecht University and Univerzita Pardubice Czech Republic includes three concrete examples that show how activism already plays a role in academic education:
- Road safety - shows that social values are imperceptibly part of curricula. The pursuit of safe traffic has the inherent value judgment that safer roads are better;
- Animal ethics - shows that facts about industrial animal husbandry are quickly dismissed as activism;
- The Israel-Palestine conflict - shows how factual situations can give academics a moral duty to act.
Developing critical skills in the lecture hall
According to Nooij, a complete ban on activism is neither realistic nor desirable. On the contrary: by exposing students to controversial issues, they develop the critical skills needed to move in an increasingly polarised world. "The lecture hall is pre-eminently a place where difficult conversations need to be had," Nooij said.