ANU cuts Tibetan & Buddhist Studies

[Huseng]

I would like to bring this to everyone's attention. Australian National University is cut Professor John Powers, a well-known scholar of Tibetan Buddhism. The details are below. I would encourage you to sign the petition if you feel it right.

Dear List-Members,

Prof. John Powers of the Australian National University (ANU) is effectively being made redundant, and we are writing to ask your support to have this decision reversed.

Prof. Powers has been at the ANU for over twenty years. Recently, against the advice of an expert panel, the ANU’s College of Asia and the Pacific decided to reformulate their teaching school, and in the process make over fifteen scholars redundant (or to use the ANU’s management-speak, to “transition” them).

We, his Ph.D. students are, therefore, writing a letter asking the Vice-Chancellor to rescind this decision and let him stay, if not in his old position then in another capacity. We have also created a petition at change.org with this same intent.

As the letter we have written to the Vice-Chancellor and our petition explains, along with the very human toll that being “transitioned” will have on Prof. Powers, his dismissal from the ANU will also have profound implications for Buddhist, Tibetan and Himalayan studies in Australia. It will make it much more difficult for post-graduate studies to be carried out on Tibet or Buddhism, and undermine several research projects that he now heads or mentors.

...

See link for full details:

https://networks.h-net.org/node/6060/di ... d-buddhist

Also the petition here:

https://www.change.org/p/brian-schmidt- ... ersity-anu

[Karma Dorje]

Unbelievable. Chinese pressure or simply intense stupidity?

[Bristollad]

For the sake of balance; what reason have the decision-makers given, if any?

Is it simple economics (i.e. short-sightedness) or political (more short-sightedness)? Or are there personal antagonisms involved (even more short-sightedness)?

[Grigoris]

Unbelievable. Chinese pressure or simply intense stupidity?

They are mutually exclusive?

[MiphamFan]

Not profitable.

[Kim O'Hara]

Sadly, our current federal government is full of neoliberal head-kickers. They are not quite as loutish as our previous Prime Minister but are still essentially pushing his agenda: anti-education, anti-science and anti-culture, taking money out of any programme, anywhere, which isn't aimed directly at getting them re-elected or making their backers more money. (In case you didn't notice, I don't like them much.)
ANU is getting off comparatively lightly. Look at what they did to CSIRO http://www.smh.com.au/environment/clima ... ms3ea.html http://reneweconomy.com.au/2016/csiro-b ... gies-30556, to literature http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... SApp_Other ... I could go on but it's too depressing.
The only gleam of light on the horizon is that we have an election soon and may get rid of them.


Kim

[Huseng]

It isn't just Tibetology and Buddhology that are being slashed. The whole humanities are being dismantled. Even in Japan, PM Abe has attempted to get universities to close humanities departments (Tokyo University and Kyoto University fortunately said no, but they're immensely wealthy and influential).

Also, Copenhagen recently slashed their Tibetology program:

In 2003, after Christian Wedemeyer returned to Chicago, I took over an assistant position in Tibetan Studies. In 2006 I was allowed to apply to an upgraded position as associate professor. In 2010, Trine Brox was hired as associate professor with half of her position in Tibetan Studies (the other half in Chinese Studies). In January, it was announced that we would ("temporarily") not be allowed to take up new students in 2016. Massive cuts at the University of Copenhagen -- over 500 people were fired -- have now put an end to all hopes and negotiations.

https://networks.h-net.org/node/6060/di ... copenhagen


There are various underlying reasons for dismantling the humanities. I tend to think it is mostly a result of ongoing long-term economic problems in much of the West and also Japan coupled with the increasingly mercantile approach to everything: if it doesn't make money, it isn't worth supporting. In the absence of strong religious identities and nationalism, there's less cause especially among the middle class to justify funding for the arts and humanities since it is popular culture and consumer habits which define people and give meaning to life for so many people these days. I'd even say much of the investor class is less interested in the humanities than before (unless maybe it can make money, like fine antique art).

[Malcolm]

There are various underlying reasons for dismantling the humanities. I tend to think it is mostly a result of ongoing long-term economic problems in much of the West...

It isn't about money. It's about priorities.