Many people are pushing for change in higher education, but change won’t come through activism alone. Ideas are the currency of the academy, and advocates for change need the best ideas and evidence available in order to be effective.
Funded by a generous lead grant from Templeton Religion Trust, HxA is opening The Center for Academic Pluralism in New York this summer. The Center will be home to scholars who will produce and disseminate scholarship to improve the climate of discourse within higher education, and advance HxA’s mission.
Research
Research fellows working at The Center will undertake advanced, interdisciplinary research at the intersection of intellectual pluralism and their fields of expertise. By bringing diverse and interdisciplinary scholars together to identify, conduct, and disseminate research about constructive discourse, we can begin filling gaps where it is most needed, and distilling research into actionable tools and resources.
The Center and its scholars will seek to answer questions that could be described roughly as philosophical, psychological, and sociological, that include (but are not limited to):
- What makes scholarly inquiry rational?
- What are the ethical obligations of research and teaching in a pluralistic context?
- What are the cognitive obstacles to rational inquiry, especially with regards to
- controversial topics?
- Why do we disagree about important topics, and how does disagreement become
- acrimonious?
- How do institutions and incentives shape scholarly practice?
- How can academic institutions and norms be changed effectively?
The Center’s scope of research is intentionally wide because excellent scholarship exists in each of these areas. Scholars will work to aggregate the existing research and share the highlights widely. The outcome will be a comprehensive and up-to-date intellectual resource for everyone working to improve the climate of discourse in higher education.
Now Recruiting
The Center for Academic Pluralism is now hiring Postdoctoral Fellows and Visiting Faculty Fellows to begin this work in September 2023. Please see here for job announcements. Email fellowships@heterodoxacademy.org with questions.
