The panel discussion entitled “The Role of Academics in Contemporary Society” took place on 5 April in Topelia. The panelists Terhi Utriainen, Ulla Anttila, Patrick Miller, Outi J. Hakola and Paolo Ribaldini, came to tell about their academic journey and discuss the role of academics in the contemporary world. Vejay Krishan took the floor with the introduction and welcoming word. The first question addressed the scholars to recall what pushed them to get Ph.D. It turned out that each panelist had a different motivation like the desire to combine hobby and study, attraction to the academic lifestyle, development of personal politics and understanding of the world, influence the world or even determination to do it since childhood.
Laura Ruhonen moderated the discussion and made it move forward asking a question about the work of panelists and its influence outside academia. Panelists were able to come up with concrete examples like lecturing medical personnel about death or contributing to awareness-raising through direct communication to non-academics. However, they all agreed that the major way for them to influence the world is teaching. They see teaching as being contributional in a global context as the people who they teach might be able to change the world.
Moving the discussion to the next point, Laura made a nice transition from the previous discussion through the global distrust towards academia to the question If panelists ever encountered the hostility towards academics themselves. The responses mainly disapprove of the statement, but the panelists admitted that it is fair enough to be concerned about such things. They remarked that it might depend on a particular work one is doing and on the context. However, there is a tendency which they named to be “knowledge under marketing” where there are alternative boxes of knowledge and explanation of the world where academic one is sometimes belittled and questioned in an absurd manner.
At that point, the panel was approaching at its logical end and Vejay gave a chance to the audience to ask questions to the panelists. The question from the audience addressed the issue of relations and ways of communication between academia and ordinary people. The panelists claimed that there is a need to write for a wider audience and make knowledge more accessible. However, it is not always possible due to the need to stay in the scientific discourse. At the very end of the panel, Paolo Ribaldini made a remark that we need to “popularize the academic and academize the popular.” This phrase was a good wrap up for the discussion. Vejay thanked the panelists and the audience to finish the discussion formally.
Panelists:
Ulla Anttila – The Executive Director of KIOS
Patrick Miller – Fulbright Bicentennial Chair in American Studies and Professor of History
Terhi Utriainen – The Acting Professor of The Study of Religion
Outi J. Hakola – University Lecturer / North American Studies
Paolo Ribaldini – Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Helsinki