Civility under threat

Universities have a duty to reverse the culture of censorship creeping into society.

The free exchange of ideas lies at the heart of a robust and civil society. As communities develop, it is inevitable—and indeed healthy—that different ideas emerge and must be heard, debated and challenged. Universities have long had a vital role to play in preserving a place in society where the free exchange of ideas thrives.

But a cultural shift is taking place, and diversity of thought is becoming harder to find as societal views become highly polarised between the left and the right. A culture of censorship has gradually been creeping in, and a monoculture is now emerging where some views are ‘in’ and others are clearly ‘out’.