Sorry, Ramsay Centre, but our academic freedom was never on the table, writes University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor Dr Michael Spence
Much has been said and written about the Ramsay Centre in recent years. From the University of Sydney’s perspective, in 2017 we began discussions with the centre about its proposal to support a new Western civilisation degree as part of a $3 billion bequest from Paul Ramsay. We, like several other universities, submitted an expression of interest, including a draft curriculum worked up by a group of our academics.
We held a number of constructive discussions with the Ramsay Centre and finally progressed to a draft memorandum of understanding in October last year. The MoU was developed through a consultative process which included input from our staff. The vast majority of these responses, reflecting a wide range of opinions, were thoughtful and measured.
We wanted a program that would be distinctive from the Ramsay offerings at the universities of Wollongong and Queensland, and which supported a broader range of students. And while that proposal was disappointingly rejected in October, we remained open to other discussions.
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