A Conference Hosted By
Democracy and Politics of American Higher Education
A Project of the Kenan Institute for Ethics

Co-Sponsored by the American Association of Colleges and Universities &
the Provost’s Initiative on Pluralism, Free Inquiry & Belonging at Duke University

 

As illiberalism gains ground across the globe—challenging democratic norms, curtailing academic freedom, and politicizing the university—higher education stands at a defining crossroads. This conference brings together scholars and practitioners to explore how colleges and universities have responded to authoritarian pressures past and present, in both liberal democracies and autocratic regimes. With a focus on comparative and historical perspectives, the convening will examine the university’s responsibility, complicity, resistance, and possibilities for renewal in the face of rising illiberalism. We will ask together if the academy can be a site of democratic resilience—or is it becoming one of its casualties?

Universities in the United States have periodically faced authoritarian-style pressures that sought to narrow the boundaries of inquiry, purge dissent, or align academic institutions with state power. Moments of crisis — from the Cold War to today’s culture wars — have repeatedly exposed higher education to state pressures. These episodes provide critical context for current debates about higher education, academic freedom, and democracy. Abroad, universities in countries such as Hungary, China, and Turkey have faced even more direct state interventions, ranging from surveillance and censorship to outright institutional closures.

By placing U.S. and international cases side by side, we can see recurring patterns: authoritarian regimes often seek to limit critical inquiry, reshape curricula to fit ideological goals, and punish dissenting voices within the academy.

This comparative perspective underscores a key point: authoritarian threats to higher education are not isolated to one political system or region. They are global, cyclical, and interconnected. Recognizing these parallels allows us to better understand the present moment and to identify strategies for defending universities as vital democratic institutions.

 

---

Register to Attend

Registration is now open. Space is limited. Please note that there is no cost to register and meals are provided; however, hotel rooms must be reserved at attendees’ own expense at the JB Duke website.

Additional program details will be shared as the full agenda is finalized.

 

Register Now

 

---

Program Overview

 

FRIDAY, MAY 22 

3:00 – 4:00 PM  

Conference Registration Open  

 

4:00 – 4:15 PM 

Opening Remarks 

Eric Mlyn 

Distinguished Faculty Fellow, Kenan Institute for Ethics 

Lecturer, Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University 

 

4:15 – 5:15 PM 

The State of American Higher Education  

Panelist: 

Peter Lange, Provost Emeritus, Duke University 

Lynn Pasquerella, President, American Association of Colleges and Universities 

Laurie Patton, President, American Academy of Arts and Sciences 

 

5:15 – 5:30 PM 

Pre-Dinner Break 

 

5:30 – 6:30 PM  

Dinner Service 

 

6:30 – 7:30 PM 

Conference Keynote  

Frank Bruni, Eugene C. Patterson Professor of the Practice of Journalism and Public Policy, Duke University 

In Conversation With 

Eric Mlyn, Distinguished Faculty Fellow, Kenan Institute for Ethics 

Lecturer, Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University 

 

7:30 PM  

Adjourn 

 

SATURDAY, MAY 23 

8:00 – 9:00 AM 

Breakfast  

 

9:00 – 9:15 AM 

Welcome Remarks
Overview of conference themes 

Eric Mlyn 

Distinguished Faculty Fellow, Kenan Institute for Ethics 

Lecturer, Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University 

 

9:15 – 10:15 AM 

Panel 1: Illiberalism and Higher Education in a Comparative Context 

This panel examines global trends in illiberalism and their implications for higher education. Panelists will explore how universities operate under shifting political conditions and what lessons may—or may not—apply to the United States. 

Panelists: 

John Aubrey Douglass, Senior Research Fellow, Goldman School of Public Policy – UC Berkeley   

Liviu Matei, Head of King’s School of Education, Communication, & Society, King’s College London 

Noah Pickus, Head of Global Strategy and Partnerships, Senior Advisor to the Provost, Duke University  

Sarah Willcox, Deputy Director, Scholars at Risk  

 

10:15 – 10:30 AM 

Break 

 

10:30 – 11:30 AM 

Panel 2: Historical Precedents for the Current Crisis of American Higher Education 

This session situates current debates within a longer historical trajectory, examining prior moments of political pressure, institutional conflict, and reform in American higher education. 

Panelists:  

Julie Rueben, Charles Warren Professor of the History of American Education, Harvard University 

Ellen Schrecker, Professor of History, Emerita, Yeshiva University 

 

11:30 – 11:45 AM 

Break 

 

11:45 AM – 1:00 PM 

Working Lunch: Democracy, Trust, and the University 

 

1:00 – 1:30 PM 

Lunch Discussion Synthesis
Selected insights from roundtables will be shared, highlighting key themes, points of disagreement, and questions to carry forward into the afternoon sessions. 

 

1:30 – 2:30 PM 

Panel 3: Academic Freedom, Institutional Neutrality, and the Politics of American Higher Education 

This panel addresses some of the most contested issues facing higher education today, focusing on the role of universities in political and public life. 

Panelists: 

Steve Poskanzer, Professor of Political Science and President Emeritus, Carleton College 

Jenna Robinson, President, James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal  

Brian Soucek, Martin Luther King Jr. Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law 

 

2:30 – 2:45 PM 

Break 

 

3:00 – 4:00 PM 

Panel 4: Trust, Higher Education, and Where We Go from Here 

The final panel looks ahead, considering the future of higher education and its relationship to democratic society. 

Panelists: 

Kaleb Briscoe Brown, Associate Professor of Adult and Higher Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, University of Oklahoma  

Barak Richman, Alexander Hamilton Professor of Law, George Washington University  

Jenna Silber Storey, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute 

Holden Thorp, Editor-in-Chief, Science Magazine 

Jeremy Young, Senior Advisor for Strategic Initiatives, American Association of Colleges and Universities 

 

4:15 – 5:00 PM 

Closing Session: The Future of Higher Education in a Democratic Society 

A concluding synthesis of the day’s discussions, identifying key themes, tensions, and directions for future inquiry. 

 

5:00 PM 

Adjourn

Speakers