Views from the VC: whilst the future may look difficult, we should remain optimistic
As a University community, we can and – I believe – must hold on to the values that define us.
Vice-Chancellor, Adam Tickell
I went to Tokyo last week as one of two people representing the UK at the first meeting of the ‘G7 Working Group on Open Science’. This group was set up so as to advise the G7’s Science Ministers as to how they can collectively make progress towards making both research publications and research data as accessible as possible. This is an area where the UK has been leading the charge and where we understand both the potential and the difficulties of Open Science.
As luck would have it, the meeting coincided with the results of the election in the United States and, at least during tea breaks, there was – unsurprisingly – more discussion about the election of Donald Trump than about the technicalities of an open data cloud.
As Vice-Chancellor, I strongly believe that I need to leave my personal political opinions at the door – I have a foundational belief in liberal values such that universities in general, and university leaderships in particular, must respect the views and beliefs of all, irrespective of politics, ethnicity or religion. And yet every now and again we get confronted with belief systems that threaten liberal values and it is possible that President Trump will unleash such forces, not just in the USA but across increasingly fragile western democracies.
Better informed commentators than I point to the threat to the liberal international trade order, to progress on combatting runaway climate change, to making the Middle East an even more unstable and difficult place to live, and to a growing climate of intolerance towards people who don’t conform to an idealised norm.
As a university community, we can and – I believe – must hold on to the values that define us.
We have excellent researchers whose work illuminates the real causes of poverty, inequality and disadvantage; who demonstrate that it is possible to improve the lives of the global poor and that climate change is not only real but it is already ruining the lives of millions of people; and whose work on international relations contributes to peace and justice rather than distrust.
We have excellent educators who not only provide a world-class education that leads to outstanding results for our students, but who help our students to become citizens who will contribute to the future lives of their own countries and who promote inter-cultural understanding. We have thousands of students who study with us from around the world, adding hugely to the life of our university, and thousands of students study in other countries as part of their Sussex degree.
As times grow more uncertain, we must be proud of our record in standing against intolerance and redouble our efforts. This means that we must respect people who don’t agree with us, whether about Brexit, US domestic and foreign policy, or disputes in the Middle East. But we should never tolerate a climate where religion, nationality, ethnicity or gender divide us.
Whilst the future may look difficult, we should remain optimistic about the possibilities that reason, evidence, resilience, hope and the University of Sussex can give us. Stay focussed and remember that we can all make a positive difference to friends, family and our broader world.