One of this year’s most potentially explosive and dangerous political issues has been allegations of foreign meddling against the University of Canterbury’s Prof Anne-Marie Brady because of her role as a critic of Chinese state political interference. It’s a fascinating tale alleging attacks by a foreign state on the politics and democracy of another country. …
The attempt by the head of Massey University to ban Don Brash from speaking on campus last month has entirely backfired. Instead of Brash being undermined by her actions, it now looks like Vice Chancellor Jan Thomas is in danger of losing her position. What’s more, her actions have ended up reinforcing academic freedoms on …
Just over a year ago, a group of academics and public intellectuals published an open letter warning of political freedoms being under threat in New Zealand universities. The letter was organised by AUT historian Paul Moon, and was co-signed by 26 others, including Don Brash. Moon, himself, argued that a “tsunami” of threats to free …
Should academia and politics mix? Two recent books published about very different topics in New Zealand politics provide some light on the relationship between academic intellectuals and parliamentary politics. Both books offer examples of academic intellectuals jumping into the political sphere, with varying results. Typically, New Zealand has a rather flimsy relationship between the realms …