Independent academic research was once considered bipartisan and sensible. But drastic and sudden changes to research and development policy in the United States have disrupted the landscape. Budget cuts to science have fueled uncertainty around domestic projects, as well as the future of international cooperation. Meanwhile, in Europe, research faces challenges related to sustainable funding, bureaucratic hurdles, and data protection. In an era of ongoing political and economic strain, can independent research survive throughout the West? Can the global community uphold the integrity of research without succumbing to outside pressure or undermining advancements?
This event is co-sponsored by the Free Speech Project (Georgetown University) and the Future of the Humanities Project (Georgetown University and Blackfriars Hall and Campion Hall, Oxford).
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John Drakakis is emeritus professor of English studies at the University of Stirling in Scotland. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Leeds, as well as an honorary doctor of literature from the University of Clermont-Auvergne. He has published many articles in learned journals and chapters in books on Shakespeare, Jacobean literature and drama, media studies, modern critical theory, and cultural studies. He is a fellow of the English Association and an elected member of the Academia Europaea.
Jennifer Jones directs the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists. She provides leadership and guidance for the center’s staff as they work together for strong and independent public science, a robust, transparent democracy, justice for overburdened communities, and the effective use of science in public policy. Previously, she led the Center for Environment and Society at Florida Gulf Coast University.
John O’Connor is the regent of Blackfriars Hall and Studium, and regent of studies for the English Province of the Order of Preachers. He studied electronic engineering at the National University of Ireland, Galway. He holds a Ph.D. in applied superconductivity and electron microscopy from the University of Oxford. He was a teaching fellow in philosophy at the University of Edinburgh and a lecturer in moral theology at the University of Glasgow.
Lisa Singh directs the Massive Data Institute at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, where she is also a professor. At Georgetown, she is also affiliated with the Institute for the Study of International Migration, the Institute for Environment and Sustainability, and serves on the Technology and Society Steering Committee. She has authored or co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters related to data mining, data privacy, and data science.
Michael Scott (moderator), senior dean, fellow of Blackfriars Hall, Oxford, college adviser for postgraduate students, and a member of the Las Casas Institute. He also serves as senior adviser to the president of Georgetown University. Scott previously was the pro-vice-chancellor at De Montfort University and founding vice-chancellor of Wrexham Glyndwr University.
Sanford J. Ungar (moderator), president emeritus of Goucher College, is director of the Free Speech Project at Georgetown University, which documents challenges to free expression in American education, government, and civil society. Director of the Voice of America under President Bill Clinton, he was also dean of the American University School of Communication and is a former co-host of "All Things Considered" on NPR.