The Idea of the Public University

This book sheds light on the risk of losing the authoritative knowledge discovered and taught by public universities. It argues that public universities are as indispensable now, as never before, for providing governments and citizens with reliable knowledge crucial for confronting the looming environmental, cultural, economic, and political challenges now threatening humanity’s very existence.

Acknowledging the history of universities around the world, the book highlights the role they have played in creating and curating knowledge. It examines John Henry Newman’s liberal idea of the university and Wilhelm von Humboldt’s conception of the institution and argues this is all under threat at the hands of fake prophets and biased media preaching "alternative facts" and populist falsehoods. Shedding light on neoliberalism and the tensions between research, education, and training, the author demonstrates that the best pedagogical and economic outcomes are achieved when these interests are dynamically informing each other.

This book will be of interest to academics, university managers, and higher education policymakers questioning the role, value, and purpose of the contemporary public university.

Allan Patience was educated at Monash University and the London School of Economics (LSE). He holds as PhD from the University of Melbourne. He has held chairs in universities in Australia and overseas and visiting academic appointments in the United Kingdom, Japan, and China. He is an honorary fellow in the School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Melbourne.