Arjun Appadurai on Universities, Autonomy, and the Future of Democracy

From Democracy in Question? by Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy

September 10, 2025 · 60 min · Season 11 · Episode 1

About this episode

This episode discusses the attacks on universities during the Trump administration and their implications for democracy.

This episode examines the unprecedented attacks on universities under the Trump administration. Why do these assaults go beyond culture-war battles over the humanities and diversity to target the very foundations of scholarship and scientific research? And how are internal pressures – ranging from monetization and vocationalism to the retreat from dissent – weakening universities from within? Tune in to hear why defending the autonomy of higher education is inseparable from defending democracy itself.

People in this episode

Guest: Arjun Appadurai

Topics covered

universities
autonomy
democracy
scholarship
scientific research
culture wars

Keywords

universities
autonomy
democracy
Trump administration
scholarship
scientific research
culture wars

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Trump administration, universities, higher education, democracy