Universities are broken. They are based on discriminatory, hierarchical and individualistic systems. This harms the people who work and learn there and limits the potential of universities to contribute to a better world. In their book Higher Expectations (2024), Roberta Hawkins and Leslie Kern envision a university characterized by collaboration, care, equity, justice and knowledge diversity. Aimed at faculty, students, graduate students, postdocs, and other scholars, the book seeks to provide hope and practical actions that each person can take to begin change now. Based on this book, the panelists will discuss how the academic world and the people who work in it can survive and what strategies and changes we urgently need to make this academic space more equitable for all and transform the university as it is.

Panelists:

Roberta Hawkins (Associate Professor, Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics, University of Guelph)

Elisabeth Militz (Assistant Professor, Institute of Geography, University of Innsbruck)

Max Preglau (University Professor Emeritus, Institute of Sociology, University of Innsbruck)

Dijana Simić (University Assistant, Center for Interdisciplinary Gender Studies, University of Innsbruck)

Juliette Sörensen (MA Student, Gender Studies, University of Innsbruck)

Moderation: Sandra Altenberger (University Assistant, Center for Interdisciplinary Gender Studies, University of Innsbruck)


Roberta Hawkins is a feminist geographer and critical social scientist. Her research interests are feminist academia, digital technologies and new development responsibilities. Together with Leslie Kern she wrote the book "Higher Expectations: How to Survive Academia, Make It Better for Others, and Transform the University."


Organization of the event: Sandra Altenberger and Elisabeth Militz

Link to the event page: https://www.uibk.ac.at/de/geschlechterforschung/veranstaltungen/2024/transforming-universities/