“We need to understand the breadth and depth of this offensive,” says Johan Östling.
Could you put Trump’s actions against universities in the US and the closure of research in a historical perspective? What can we learn from it?
“There is something extraordinary happening. While the American academic landscape is disparate and multifaceted, the best universities have long been among the most vital institutions in the US.”
“Last year, when I published a book on the history of the university, Kunskapens stora hus (The Great House of Knowledge), I labelled the period from the 1930s onwards as ‘The American University’. The reason was simple: since the Second World War, US universities and research institutes have played a leading, inspirational role worldwide. Much of the success can be attributed to a fruitful combination of substantial resources for research (a combination of private, state and federal funding), a genuine commitment to teaching, an ability to attract talent from all over the world, and a significant degree of academic freedom. Now this bedrock is crumbling.”
What happened in the 1930s and beyond that led to US universities becoming leaders?
“Until the Nazi takeover of power in 1933, German universities were the role model for the world’s academics, but then things went downhill fast. At the same time as the German academic world was being torn apart, American academia was thriving. This was achieved by investing large sums of money, making the teaching staff more professional and students flocking to the universities. A large number of dynamic research environments emerged in the US in experimental science and medicine, as well as in new, empirically-oriented social and behavioural sciences.”
Are there any historical parallels in democratic countries to this attack on universities?
“I’m struggling to think of any equivalent at the moment. In Poland, Hungary and Turkey, we have seen politically enforced restrictions on academic freedom in the last decade, but they have come more gradually and not in the first hundred days of a new head of state. In American history, the closest we get is McCarthyism in the 1950s, when academics deemed to have radical left or socialist leanings were persecuted. It hit many individual researchers hard, but it was not a general attack on the university as an institution.”
What impact could Trump’s actions have on society in the longer term?
“In the US, this could lead to a loss of innovation, a loss of intellectual vigour, an impoverished public sphere, and fewer young people wanting to study and conduct research.”
“The breakdown of trust between the federal government and knowledge institutions is reshaping the American social contract. Globally, it could also lead to a decline in US influence in academia. It may accelerate a shift in emphasis, already underway, towards Asia and China in particular.”
Will universities and individual researchers simply remain silent for fear of retaliation, or could it lead to a more polemical role for the university?
“It is difficult to predict. During the initial phase that we have experienced in recent weeks, many have testified to caution and that a culture of silence is spreading. But in the last week alone, Harvard University, the oldest, richest and most prestigious of the American universities, has returned fire and a letter of protest, signed to date by more than 500 university presidents, has been formulated.”
“Yet things are moving so fast that what I’m saying now may well be obsolete in a week or so. Generally speaking, however, there is much to suggest that the animosity between academia and political power will increase.”
Could Trump’s actions have an impact on Swedish universities?
“Hopes have been raised that we will be able to attract outstanding American academics on the lookout for a new home to conduct their research. I think we should realistically expect that, especially in the case of older and more established researchers. Academic recruitment should be long term and not rushed.”
“However, what the dramatic changes in the US may mean is that more people realise how fragile the academic system can be, including in our country. Academic freedom is not particularly strong in Sweden. This is particularly true for institutional autonomy, as almost all higher education institutions are public authorities:where the Government appoints the vice-chancellor and the chair of the board. It is to be hoped that the inquiry into the form of association of higher education institutions, announced in the Research and Innovation Bill, can generate a comprehensive, informed debate on these aspects of academic freedom.”
Do you think LU and the Swedish universities should show their support for Harvard?
“Many of us have contacts and partnerships with US colleagues. It is natural that we provide support in different ways; it can be important for them but also for our local research communities. But we also need to remember that our outlook tends to be Anglo-centric and that the world is so much bigger. There are many academics working in universities where freedom has long been brutally curtailed or never really existed. We should also get behind them and stay in touch with them.”
What is the main point of creating influence over academia?
“I think the Trump administration has realised the importance of universities in shaping public discourse and influencing the views of young people. Academia embodies much of what the MAGA movement despises. It explicitly attacks wokeism and research on issues such as gender, race, climate and global health, but I see it as a much broader attack on democratic liberalism, critical attitudes, the passion for truth, and the belief in the importance of diversity, tolerance and equality. By targeting universities, they want to undermine these values and lay the groundwork for a different kind of society. We need to understand the breadth and depth of this offensive.”
Johan Östling is a professor of history and director of the Lund Centre for the History of Knowledge (LUCK). He has researched the history of the university and the role of knowledge in society, and has published Kunskapens stora hus: Huvudlinjer i universitetets historia (The Great House of Knowledge: Highlights of the History of the University) (2024). Östling is also chair of the Electoral College at Lund University.