Academic freedom

The Australian National University and Sydney University are well within their rights to refuse the tempting multimillion-dollar cash infusion to promulgate cultural immersion in the Judeo–Christian tradition hosted by the proposed Ramsay Centre.

Both already offer humanities degrees that offer broadbased and balanced exposure to philosophy, ethics, human history and the arts. In order to remain credible as a host to critical appraisal and uncensored debate among impressionable youth, a degree conferred by a reputable university must avoid the stain of agendadriven indoctrination, a prescient threat posed by the Ramsay Centre’s aspiring to a favourable focus on “studies and discussions of Western civilisation”. The ANU and Sydney risked corroding their high regard in Australia and worldwide by lending their imprimatur and patronage to the Ramsay Centre. Sydney University, at least, may have learnt from the fierce public backlash to China’s interference in student affairs to defend that behemoth’s interests, enabled through its decision to accommodate a Confucius Institute onsite. I remain proud of Australian universities’ integrity and insistence on academic autonomy, including a recent decision by ANU vice-chancellor Brian Schmidt to not profit from the offer of housing a Confucius Institute in Canberra.

– Joseph Ting, Carina, Qld