The university is in, and of, the real world

Description

This was an invited talk for the third and last panel of the day, titled, 'Creative and Imaginative Solutions' with contributions by Sarah-Anne Buckley, Dina Belluigi, Luna Dolezal, Kate Falconer, Maggie O’Neill, & Silvia Ross; chaired by Sarah Kerr.

The format was of presentations by each participant on the real world problems our work is exploring / addressing; in relation to responses to questions that came up over the course of the day. Key Questions: what are your creative / imaginative solutions? What are the potential / limits to what your research can do?

I was given the position of the last person to speak. In my responses, I raised questions of the ethico-political responsibilty in our work and our representations in relation to our erasures, our implicateness in innonce-making, our inheritances (including institutions) and the limits and conditions of our agency to disrupt cycles and systems, including relations. I argued that against artificial border-making between the university and the real work, asking whose interests this serves. Rather I argued that the university is in, and of, the 'real' world, as are academics. I highlighted the importance of attention to the life and the thought of those critical, not only to reckon with power but also ethicality possible within systems of power.

When discussing 'limits', I highlighted that institutions (here including the university) rarely archive themselves or their critical scholars, critically; and that those without a stake- in disruption,restitution or the critical formation(s) of academics - will not invest in such work, moreove they will see this as threat and work to delegimate, denigrate and dismantle such work, with institutionalisation raising the risk of deradicalisation.

Period	24 Apr 2026
Event title	Radical Humanities: Problems, Methods, Approaches
Event type	Conference
Location	Cork, IrelandShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International