Universities must overcome ‘echo chamber’ and self-censorship, says Reading VC

Robert Van de Noort says vice-chancellors must be bold in protecting academic freedom and
promoting diversity of thought

February 2024, The Guardian

Universities risk becoming “uniformities” of rigid ideas and self-censorship, according to the
vice-chancellor of the University of Reading, who accused the government and his fellow
university leaders of creating echo chambers on campus.

Robert Van de Noort told a seminar at the Houses of Parliament that vice-chancellors needed
“to be more courageous themselves, and actively and explicitly promote a culture of
diversity of thought” to overcome an “echo chamber” of academics amplifying identity
politics and the government’s accountability measures which rewarded conformity over
innovation.

Van de Noort said the “fundamental threat” to academic freedom was not that the higher
education sector “occasionally” cancelled an external speaker on campus. “Rather, it has
everything to do with a broader higher education world that seems to have become one in
which one increasingly encounters beliefs or opinions that coincide with one’s own, so that
existing views are reinforced, and alternative ideas are not considered,” he said.

“I am not the only vice-chancellor who has noted that colleagues far too often self-censor
their views. Because, coming out as being the divergent voice in the echo chamber can feel
like a career-limiting move.”

Van de Noort also attacked the government’s use of accountability measures that punished
deviation in academic approaches by cutting off access to research funding.

“The desire to do well in official assessments is so important to status and funding that
managers have a clear incentive to appoint and promote candidates who show a high degree
of conformity and consistency with existing research paradigms, or mainstream pedagogy,
rather than seeking out and appointing candidates with divergent views and opinions,” he
said.

He claimed that government-backed assessments of economics were renowned for favouring

researchers using neo-classical economics “to the exclusion of other theoretical approaches
such as feminist or development economics”.

But Van de Noort, speaking at the seminar organised by the Higher Education Policy Institute
(Hepi), also accused the University and College Union (UCU) of making staff uncomfortable
by focusing more on political issues – such as boycotting Israel or transgender rights – than
on its members’ interests.

“Yes, there is a need to ensure high standards of teaching and research, give taxpayers and
students value for money, and make universities welcoming for everyone. But we must guard
against turning our universities into ‘uniformities’,” said Van de Noort, a professor of
archaeology who has led Reading since 2018.
“We need to be bold when protecting academic freedom and we need to tread lightly when
entering current debates. If we do not, universities risk becoming less universal and more
homogenous, and that’s a big risk to society.”

Nick Hillman, Hepi’s chief executive, said it was notable that vice-chancellors had stopped
denying that threats to freedom of speech on campus were a problem, and were now looking
to respond.

“What matters most is supporting the academic freedom of university staff and the free
speech of students while avoiding the well-laid traps of those who would relish more culture
wars and who want nothing more than to embarrass universities as a fraught election
approaches,” he said.

With universities about to face new responsibilities on freedom of speech following recent
legislation, Hillman warned that some vice-chancellors “could get a shock” if they didn’t
adapt quickly.

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SUBJECT 1

Speech topic: you were invited to speak to the students and the faculty of your university
about the importance of “promoting a culture of diversity of thought”. Why is promoting
a diversity of thought in universities crucial and how can Sorbonne Université
encourage it?

Prepare the speech that you will give.

Write it, memorize it and film yourself doing it.
Film yourself speaking from notes. DO NOT READ A SCRIPT.

BEFORE YOU START SPEAKING, SHOW YOUR ID (Identity card or passport) TO

THE CAMERA. Make sure that it is visible.
Your speech should be 1’30 to 2 minute long.
The Format should be mp4
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SUBJECT 2

Speech topic: you were invited to speak to the students and faculty of your university of the
importance of encouraging and rewarding innovation.
Do you believe that Sorbonne Université does enough to foster innovation? Answer by giving
concrete examples of what is being done / should be done.

Prepare the speech that you will give.

Write it, memorize it and film yourself doing it.
Film yourself speaking from notes. DO NOT READ A SCRIPT.

BEFORE YOU START SPEAKING, SHOW YOUR ID (Identity card or passport) TO

THE CAMERA. Make sure that it is visible.
Your speech should be 1’30 to 2 minute long.
The Format should be mp4