After reading her insightful piece in The Atlantic about a potential way forward, I talked to Danielle Allen, a professor at Harvard University who studies political science, democracy, and philosophy. She argues for a new social contract between higher education and the federal government that simultaneously calls for a firm commitment to academic freedom and what she calls a “horizontal” relationship between universities and the American people—one that is based on mutual respect and reciprocity.
I’ve seen Dr. Allen (Harvard bio; Wikipedia page) mentioned a couple times over the last couple weeks, in different contexts (first in a New Yorker article on how universities are pivoting toward pluralism and away from DEI), and now in this Science editorial about how the social contract between universities and the federal government. I don’t know much about her work or positions, but I’m going to learn more about both as she seems to be leading new thought on the future of universities.
posted by matt in Thursday, May 8, 2025