I came across an article by Anne E Urai and Clare Kelly in eLife on rethinking academia in times of the climate crisis. In the article, they use the framework of Raworth’s Doughnut Economics to develop a donut for academia as well. The article contains both a clear analysis of the current state and a vision for the future. I found it very worth reading and reflecting on.
Here is the abstract:
Addressing the climate crisis requires radical and urgent action at all levels of society. Universities are ideally positioned to lead such action but are largely failing to do so. At the same time, many academic scientists find their work impeded by bureaucracy, excessive competitiveness, and a loss of academic freedom. Here, drawing on the framework of “Doughnut Economics,” developed by Kate Raworth, we suggest seven new principles for rethinking the norms of scientific practice. Based on these, we propose a call to action, and encourage academics to take concrete steps towards the creation of a flourishing scientific enterprise that is fit for the challenges of the 21st century.
The full article can be found here.
AM Waltermann 