Hi,
As the Christmas season approaches, many of us are looking forward to some well-deserved rest. Reflecting on my first year as an academic, I’ve come to realize how much of a learning curve it has been. One of the more sobering lessons is realizing that universities often operate like prestige businesses, reliant on their academic reputation to stay afloat. I say this because currently my own employer, University of Essex, is going through a financial downturn. Conversations with senior colleagues at my law school suggest that such downturns are not unprecedented, and institutions have weathered similar storms before. The global landscape for higher education is fraught with instability. Even Australian Universities are going through challenging times. In my home country of India, students studying at premier law schools face crippling debt as government funding for top law schools dwindle forcing universities to raise fees. There are exceptions though who are rolling in money.
What is interesting is the fact that in the UK, financial struggles of universities seem largely invisible to the public. Interestingly, the British public is unaware of the crisis faced by the Universities per one poll:
“Asked whether most British universities had enough money, only 32 per cent of the 4,034 people polled by Public First said they had too little money, of which only 8 per cent felt institutions were in serious financial difficulty….Less than one person in three thinks UK universities are short of money….”
If this is the situation in the UK, hub of international education, then why are we surprised that there is an atmosphere of anti-intellectualism around the world. For some reason, it is now completely fine to denigrate universities as “left-wing indoctrination centres”. In reality, many institutions are merely trying to stay afloat amidst financial and reputational tsunamis.
The roots of this mistrust fuelling anti intellectualism may lie in universities drifting from their core mission: delivering quality education and conducting “occasional” meaningful research. Instead, they have evolved into publication mills catering to academic careerists rather than nerdy misfits. The relentless focus on producing publishable outputs has stifled creativity, fuelled competition between colleagues and discouraged academics from engaging directly with the public. Despite the ease of self-publishing and platforms like Substack, many academics shy away from communicating their insights in accessible ways. Perhaps it is because of the gradual exclusion of risk-takers and pragmatists from academia, replaced by those who excel at playing the metrics game. Goodhart’s law—“When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure”—feels increasingly at play in the university sector.
In the realm of legal academia, this problem takes on a particular form. Across institutions, I’ve noticed a growing emphasis on theoretical and abstract research. While theory is undeniably valuable, the prevailing trend of treating theory as an end in itself—without testing its practical implications—is concerning. This isn’t to dismiss theoretical work outright; I’ve read (and written) theoretical pieces that I deeply value. But how often do we need to re-theorize existing concepts? How many iterations of the same theoretical framework do we need before we consider its real-world application? The focus on abstraction often leaves little room for research with tangible, practical outcomes, and yet we’re surprised when lawyers and practitioners don’t engage with our work.
To counter this, universities must rethink their priorities. Rather than fixating on metrics and rankings, they should refocus on fostering creativity, curiosity, and practical problem-solving. This requires a cultural shift within academia, one that values diversity of thought and encourages risk-taking along with an emphasis in practical teaching. It also means embracing interdisciplinary collaboration and ensuring that research addresses real-world challenges.
The future of higher education depends on its ability to adapt and evolve. Universities must reconnect with their foundational purpose—to educate, to inspire, and to contribute meaningfully to society. But if we succeed, we can ensure that universities remain vital institutions, capable of navigating the challenges of the 21st century and beyond. Otherwise, it is only a matter of time till the music stops.
Life is rich,
Justin
PS: I hope if you are reading this, you have a wonderful break. I will be off to Eastern Europe visiting some Christmas markets. See you in the New Year!!!