"May you live in interesting times," says the proverbial Chinese curse. For higher education in particular, these are indeed interesting times, as public universities grapple with furloughs, fee hikes and other difficult strategies to address the current economic meltdown. But times of crisis can also provoke innovative thinking and reassessment — and this is what humanities scholars do best. In the 2009-10 Public Intellectuals Forum, three leaders in the field will offer their perspectives on "Beyond the Crisis: The Future of the University."
An ongoing speaker series presented by the UC Davis Humanities Institute and the Center for History, Society, and Culture, the Public Intellectuals Forum seeks to bring compelling, challenging ideas out of the university and into the community. In choosing speakers we look for dynamic and socially engaged scholars whose intellectual work addresses the issues of the day and speaks to broad, diverse audiences. And in holding some of the events in downtown Davis, rather than on the university campus, we hope to spark conversations, encourage public engagement and build bridges between the academy and the public.
If you would like to join the DHI community listserv to receive updates on this series and other events, please contact us at dhi@ucdavis.edu.