Our universities are not strangers to politics. The political aspect of research is inescapable and colleges have an external institutional role that shapes the world around us. From advising on government policy, shaping research objectives and sitting on governing boards, academics continue to change the world around us in many invisible, overlooked and under-examined ways. But universities like Trinity can quickly become dull and out-of-touch without a spirit of social change and student challenges. This has caused many to question their role as both an academic and an activist. 

In a previous interview with Misc. Magazine, the Provost of Trinity College Dublin, Linda Doyle, expressed her wish for Trinity students to be physically safe and “intellectually challenged”. This feeling was echoed among many of the academics interviewed for this article. One such academic is Dr. Peter Robbins, Assistant Professor of Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Dublin College University. In addition to research and lecturing, Professor Robbins also sits on the advisory board of the Childhood Development Initiative and the Royal Dublin Society. He noted to Misc. how common this voluntary nature is within academia. He stated that roles within these civil societies and boards “is our form of activism – it is not controversial or political, but it is necessary”. 

I was interested in hearing Robbin’s opinion on whether or not academia would risk becoming too reactionary if it became too political. Robbins believed that Irish academics “are less political now than before, but perhaps they are more socially conscious than they used to be”. In his area of business, very few courses or modules at the university level do not mention global concepts such as Sustainable Development Goals, and “there is no longer the idea that unconstrained or unbridled growth in business is inherently good”. Robins argued that “you very rarely see academics taking a strongly partisan view on issues when they’re called on for comments by the media – they are usually making informed but often anodyne observations about the issues of the day”.  

So, is there ever an equilibrium between academia and activism? In an interview with Princeton, Noam Chomsky stated that finding the balance between activism and academia is nearly impossible. On the one hand, he recognised that academia “can be significant in our understanding of the world”. On the other hand, so too is “direct engagement”. 

This intersection can be found in many disciplines, with some academics themselves becoming activists and leaders. The current leader of the Labour Party in Ireland, Ivana Bacik, was herself a lecturer at Trinity until she was elected leader in March 2022. Robins notes that a particular area where activism is present is in the discipline of climate change. He said that “academics are often the ones donning the waders to clean out river basins, they are often leading marches and demonstrations calling for more action on climate justice, they are setting up research projects and centres to spotlight issues of concern”. But as our world is increasingly interconnected and borderless, these academics engaging in climate-related activism are not in this alone but rather “they are in the company of so many other concerned citizens”. 

This intersection is becoming increasingly evident as Trinity academics and others have been outspoken critics of the college’s stance on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Over 70 Trinity academics signed a letter from the organisation called “Academics for Palestine”. One signatory was Dr. David Landy, an assistant professor in the Sociology Department at Trinity.

I interviewed Professor Landy in December, and the key takeaway from the interview was his perspective on activism and involvement in social causes throughout his life. When I asked why he felt so passionately about the movements he was involved in, Dr Landy simply replied that he didn’t understand “why people didn’t get involved”. Having taken his class on Race, Ethnicity and Identity this year, I was always struck that his manner of teaching managed to bridge his activist and academic background. While we had debated and discussions in class, I had always felt open to questioning him and the text; upon asking him if this was intentional or not, he noted he thought it was important for academics to be “honest about bias” and that classrooms should not act as a “forum for indoctrination”. 

This increased social consciousness amongst ‘Gen Z’ is also putting more pressure on colleges to be more political than they once were. A survey conducted by Deloitte found that 49 per cent of Gen Z surveyed said that over the last two years they have decided on the type of work they do and the companies they work for based on personal values. This shift is not only reflected in the world of work but is evident in educational institutions. 

The outgoing Students’ Union President, László Molnárfi, offered his perspective on this intersection between academics and activism. He stated that “the rise of precarious employment in academia” has “significantly undermined the capacity of academics to engage in activism, thereby widening the gap between academia and activism”. He added that the precarious nature of jobs “breeds a culture of caution among academics”, making them less likely to engage in activism. 

In contrast to the view of Robbins and other academics, he states that this “erodes the traditional role of academia as a space for critical thought and societal engagement, weakening the connection between scholarly research and real-world activism.”