Universities should lead change in Thailand
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“Education should not be intended to make people comfortable - it is meant to make them think,” Hanna Holborn Gray said when she was president of the University of Chicago. “Universities should be expected to provide the conditions within which hard thoug
Progress requires change, and academics represent our best and brightest – those most qualified to lead the in-depth, impartial analysis needed to reach overarching societal goals. For example, academics should have led an inclusive discussion of the pros and cons of our draft constitution, so that we could have had an informed electorate.
We should not fear intellectual conflict, for such disagreement shows where progress can be made. Rather, we should seek ways to peacefully resolve diverging views. I have the deep honour of having studied with one, and been close friends with another person, who went on to earn Nobel prizes (George Stigler and Merton Miller). Both were very humble despite their intellect and welcomed thoughtful, constructive criticism.
Such an approach could also work well in Asia. When the University of Chicago’s business school was considering opening a branch in Singapore, the city-state’s government assured it would have full freedom of expression on campus, and it scrupulously honoured that commitment – which is a key reason why its education is world-class and why internationally renowned institutions are there.
We, too, should encourage our universities to be thoughtful giants, leading and changing our society.
Burin Kantabutra
