Eight facilitators from FSG, Diversity Office, the Athena Institute and the CTL guided the talks. Researchers, lecturers and professors had limited representation in this first round. This was partly due to the short preparation time and the fact that recruitment was mainly through existing networks of the CTL, the Network Science in Dialogue and 3D / NewConnective. This also means that the insights collected emphatically do not represent the entire VU. However, we do see this first group as a meaningful starting point: they brought in experiences and questions that live within parts of the community and that invite broadening and deepening in subsequent sessions.
It was striking that some people who had previously been involved in protests at the VU also participated. The fact that they entered the conversation about underlying tensions and values in this setting, we see as an important and constructive step. Both during and afterwards, participants indicated that they largely succeeded in not only sharing their own perspective, but also in actively listening to others. At the same time, it is clear that this is a learning process, in which further development is necessary and possible.
In the next four dialogues, we will build on these initial conversations, with the explicit ambition to grow: in the number of participants, in the diversity of perspectives and in the depth of themes.
First insights from the dialogue
We are still analysing all the input in more detail, but can already share some substantive lines.
In the conversations, several underlying tensions emerged that participants believe affect the academic climate at VU. Eight themes were identified in this first round, which we kept as close as possible to what the participants said. They included:
Conversation themes:
- the courage required to address complex and politically charged issues in education and research;
- uncertainty about what academic freedom means when political neutrality is perceived as unachievable or undesirable;
- concerns about exclusion and limited accessibility within teaching and research;
- differing experiences with security and with police presence on campus;
- distrust in science and tension around dialogue about scientific knowledge;
- feelings of both connection and alienation or isolation within the VU community.
According to participants, these themes point to broader systemic tensions that directly affect how safe, heard and connected people feel within the university. Talking about this was felt by some to be tough, but many participants also indicated that precisely being able to name these experiences offered space and relief.
In addition, big differences stood out in how safety is experienced and in the need to discuss this explicitly. The so-called exit-slips (written reflections by participants at the end of the session) show that experiences of physical, social and political safety vary widely. For many, the dialogue revealed how these differences often remain under the surface in everyday work and study situations.
Finally, there was a broad desire to actually meet other perspectives. Participants appreciated talking to people they would normally not easily meet or even avoid. At the same time, they mentioned which voices were still missing, including those of researchers and teachers. There is a need for suitable working forms as well as a sustainable, recognisable place where this conversation can continue to take place. It is our commitment that Free Thinkers in Conversation will become that visible place at VU level, complementing the work that is already happening elsewhere in the organisation.
Continued
The next dialogues will take place on 10 February, 24 March, 14 April and a date to be determined in June. In these, we will work with a combination of regular participants and new voices. In parallel, we are setting up a line of research together with researchers to learn what these dialogues do at the individual level and for the organisation as a whole. We are also working on further communication and follow-up dialogues within faculties.