Each spring, the New School hosts the Consortium Scholars for a public academic conference at which scholars speak, the subject of which is determined by the scholars. The conference provides a platform for scholars to present their work to the broader community, and call attention to threats to academic freedom.
2024 Conference – The Role of Universities in the Lead-Up to Conflict, and in Peace and Reconciliation
May 10, 2024
Originally aired May 10, 2024, from 10:00 AM -2:00 PM EDT. Featuring Professor Michael Ignatieff, former Canadian politician and Rector of Central European University, as the keynote speaker, this 6th Annual Consortium Scholars’ Conference addressed issues surrounding academic freedom and the role of higher education in challenging authoritarianism, repression, and conflict. Two scholar panels took on these issues, titled “The Role of the Academy in Challenging Authoritarianism, Violence, and in Post-Conflict Situations” and “The Experiences of Exiled Scholars.”
2023 Conference – The Plight of Women and Minorities under Authoritarian Regimes
Originally convened on April 17, 2023 from 1:00 – 5:45 PM CEDT. U.S. Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights, Rina Amiri, gave the keynote presentation, which addressed the pressing need for international aid and cooperation in order to mitigate the human rights abuses wrought by the Taliban. Scholars in the first panel discussed the complex issues relating to the treatment of minorities living under authoritarian regimes across the world, while the second panel of Consortium scholars focused on the circumstances of women in Afghanistan today. More information about the Consortium’s 2023 Spring Scholars Conference can be found here.
2022 Conference – The Life Stories of Exiled Scholars: Perils and Powers of Academic Freedom Today
Originally aired May 5th, 2022 from 12:00 – 2:00 PM EDT. Speakers shared their personal stories and provided analyses of the types of oppression and of resistance to the current attacks on academic liberty in different countries. Speakers offered first-person narratives about the ways that scholars sustain creative thinking while trying to survive in their home countries or are forced into exile. More information about the Consortium’s 2022 Spring Scholars Conference can be found here.
2021 Conference – The Academy, Politics, and Society: How a Troubled World Affects Universities and Activism
Originally aired May 7, 2021 from 12:00 -2:00 PM EDT. The webinar featured a keynote address by Éric Fassin, Professor of Sociology and Co-chair of the Gender Studies Department at Paris 8 University titled “Academic Engagement: Critical Thought in the Age of Authoritarian Neoliberalism.” His keynote was followed by presentations from four New University in Exile Consortium Scholars. More information about the Consortium’s 2021 Spring Scholars Conference can be found here.
2020 Conference – Repression & Resistance: Inside and Outside the Academy
Originally aired November 12, 2020 from 12:30 – 2:30 PM EST. Professor Judith Butler, Maxine Elliot Professor of Comparative Literature at UC Berkeley, presented, “The Human, Humanities, and Human Rights,” a presentation focused on the shutting down of gender studies programs globally and how this connects to the issue of human rights. The keynote was followed by presentations from scholar-members of the New University in Exile Consortium. They discussed the rise of authoritarianism, anti-intellectualism, and censorship globally, offering perspectives from Turkey, China, and Brazil. More information about the Consortium’s 2020 Spring Scholars Conference can be found here.