Introducing New Initiatives from IHS
The promise of higher education is to serve as a place where ideas are developed, challenged, and refined in pursuit of truth. But it’s no secret that higher education is facing a crisis from rising authoritarianism, intellectual silos, illberal activism, and dysfunction.
Colleges and universities used to be where the best ideas were made better but, given today’s climate, they are not living up to their promise or purpose. That is why we need to maintain a place to hone and challenge ideas and foster a fearless joy of discovery. A place where students and scholars can connect and grow together, and where their ideas can be challenged and developed.
“I teach a class on politics and markets. It’s a course where we consider the theoretical arguments for and against markets and capitalism broadly construed,” says Brianne Wolf, an IHS faculty partner and the assistant professor of political theory and constitutional democracy at James Madison College at Michigan State University.
Brianne’s class is a great example of the importance of open debate and the need to explore opposing views. Exposing her students to a variety of differing ideas, and then having them defend and challenge those ideas amongst each other, allows them to experience how the best ideas might rise to the surface through open discourse. In tackling challenging questions within a classroom setting, her students end the semester with a newfound appreciation for solutions found by means of robust intellectual discussion – a principle essential to the classical liberal tradition.
“Students are always asking me if there’s a part two of the course, and I’d love to offer something like that in the future, but we just unfortunately don’t have the staffing capacity for it right now. I teach politics and markets every year. There’s always a long waitlist. Students really want to be exposed to the theoretical side of economics and the political implications of it, which they don’t always get in their econ classes.”
Brianne isn’t alone. Masterful teachers in universities across the country rely on additional resources to expand the opportunities for their students to engage in the ideas of a free society.
At the Institute for Humane Studies, we are committed to reviving and reigniting a passion for classical liberal principles such as free speech, economic freedom, and intellectual humility among the next generation of thinkers. We believe these principles and ideas are urgently needed in the support and understanding of a good society; one in which people flourish in a context of openness, peace, and mutual respect.
To spark student’s curiosity and ignite a lifelong passion for these ideas and principles, we’re launching a new suite of initiatives designed to support faculty and students who are dedicated to the pursuit of joyful intellectual discovery.
Research Grants for Promising Young Scholars
- These grants help young scholars who are already having a significant impact in their fields. By providing financial support, you can ensure that these scholars continue their important work without the constraints that often come with academic funding.
Mentorships for Graduate Students
- Our mentorship program connects freedom-focused faculty members with graduate students. Students and faculty will collaborate on a publication, increasing students’ opportunities for long-term job placement. This initiative ensures that the next generation of academics receives the guidance and support they need to thrive in an increasingly dysfunctional and illberal academic environment.
Educational Entrepreneurship Grants
- These grants support professors in providing classical liberal programming and extracurricular activities for undergraduate students, including reading groups and discussion colloquia.
Our mission is to build a freer, more humane society grounded in the principles of liberalism, where individuals can live prosperous, peaceful, and productive lives. But, we cannot achieve this mission alone. A society where all people have the opportunity to thrive requires a robust community of liberty-centric champions to keep this work going and to ensure that freedom-focused ideas are heard within and beyond our universities.
You can learn more on how supporting these initiatives helps contribute to a future where academic freedom and the pursuit of truth are not just ideals, but realities within our educational institutions. Together, we can ensure that good ideas are explored passionately and the best ideas have the opportunity to be made better.
