They say that colleges have become too censorious. That our most prestigious institutions have abandoned their mission of fostering critical minds and sparking thoughtful dissent. And that a generation of American students is missing out. So, this group of scholars and activists are founding something new: a university – they say – dedicated primarily to free speech. The University of Austin will get its start with a series of noncredit “Forbidden Courses.” And it has attracted some of the nation’s biggest (and controversial) thinkers, like Bari Weiss, Steven Pinker, and Larry Summers. But just what does this new free speech university mean for higher education? And what purpose might it serve? In this Open to Debate conversation, John Donovan sits down with the university’s inaugural president Pano Kanelos and co-founder Niall Ferguson to discuss higher education today, the new university, and the enormous debate surrounding it.
07 January, 2022
Open to Debate Conversation: A New University Offers "Forbidden" Courses
SHARE
READ NEXT
Revisiting the Debate: Should TikTok Be Banned in the U.S.?
ARGUING YES Kori Schake Senior Fellow and Director of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute ARGUING NO Milton Mueller Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology School of Public Policy;…
March 22, 2024
Newsletter: Does Taylor Swift Deserve Her Billion Dollar Fortune?
ARGUING YES Jessica Flanigan Political Philosopher and Chair in Ethics and Democratic Values at the University of Richmond ARGUING NO Ingrid Robeyns Chair in Ethics of Institutions at Utrecht University's Ethics Institute; Author of…
March 18, 2024
Newsletter: Should We Address the Gender Wage Gap?
ARGUING YES Kadie Ward Chief Administrative Officer and Commissioner at the Pay Equity Commission of Ontario ARGUING NO Allison Schrager Economist; Bloomberg Opinion Contributor; Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute GUEST MODERATOR Nayeema…
March 11, 2024
Newsletter: Has Citizens United Undermined Democracy?
ARGUING YES Francesca Procaccini Assistant Professor of Law at Vanderbilt University Law School ARGUING YES Ciara Torres-Spelliscy Professor of Law at Stetson University ARGUING NO Floyd Abrams Senior Counsel at Cahill Gordon &…
March 5, 2024
Newsletter on Color Blindness
ARGUING YES Jamelle Bouie Columnist for The New York Times ARGUING NO Coleman Hughes Host of the “Conversations with Coleman” podcast, Contributing Writer at The Free Press, and Analyst at CNN …
February 26, 2024
Unresolved: The Iran Threat
Ray Takeyh Senior Fellow for Middle East Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations Barbara Slavin Distinguished Fellow at the Stimson Center Michael Doran Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Peace…
February 20, 2024
Newsletter: Esther Perel on Resolving Conflict in Relationships
Esther Perel Psychotherapist, New York Times Bestselling Author, and Host of the “Where Should We Begin?” Podcast John Donvan Host and Moderator-in-Chief This week: New episode: Esther Perel on how to disagree…
February 12, 2024
A Debate Dividing Republicans: Two Conservatives on One Big Spending Problem
ARGUING YES Oren Cass Executive Director of American Compass ARGUING NO David McIntosh President of the Club for Growth GUEST MODERATOR Nayeema Raza Journalist at New York Magazine and Vox This…
February 5, 2024
Newsletter: Is Engineering Solar Radiation a Crazy Idea?
ARGUING YES Clive Hamilton Professor; Author of "Earthmasters: The Dawn of the Age of Climate Engineering" ARGUING YES Anjali Viswamohanan Director of Policy at the Asia Investor Group on Climate Change ARGUING NO…
January 29, 2024
Newsletter: Is the American Dream in Decline?
ARGUING YES David Leonhardt Pulitzer Prize winner; Senior Writer for The New York Times and The Morning newsletter; Author of “Ours Was the Shining Future: The Story of the American Dream” ARGUING NO Michael…
January 23, 2024
Newsletter: David Petraeus and Andrew Roberts on Conflict, War, and Debate
David Petraeus U.S. Army Retired General; Chairman of the KKR Global Institute; Former CIA Director Andrew Roberts Biographer, Historian, and Member of the U.K. Parliament GUEST MODERATOR Xenia Wickett Geopolitical Strategist; Principal at…
January 17, 2024
A Message from the Moderator's Desk
Dear all fans, followers and frequenters of Open to Debate: It's that time of year where I like to say to all of you: "thanks and..." Thanks for listening and watching, for liking and sharing,…
January 9, 2024
MOST READ
Open to Debate Conversation: A New University Offers "Forbidden" Courses
They say that colleges have become too censorious. That our most prestigious institutions have abandoned their mission of fostering critical minds and sparking thoughtful dissent. And that a generation of American students is missing out.…
January 7, 2022
Agree To Disagree COVID Series
Covid is the pandemic threatening our world right now. But the pandemic of misinformation is proving similarly disastrous. Open to Debate brings you “Agree to Disagree: COVID Series,” answering the important questions about the disease…
December 16, 2021
New Podcast: The State Of Debate On Capitol Hill And The American Health Care Act
In this special edition of Open to Debate podcast, we are taking a moment to explore how debates really work in Congress, and to get an insider's perspective on how it has been changing over…
June 27, 2017
Legalize Psychedelics? The Results Are In.
First off, we at Open to Debate would like to extend a warm thank you to all of those who attended and cast their votes during the premier and nationwide broadcasts of our most recent…
April 30, 2021
RESULTS: We Should Expand The Supreme Court
After keeping the vote open for 7 days, the results are in. The team arguing against the motion “We Should Expand The Supreme Court” has emerged as the clear winner. Congratulations to Akhil Reed Amar,…
October 8, 2021
Open To Debate Wins Five Telly Awards
Open to Debate U.S. Wins Record Five Telly Broadcast Awards At the 42nd Annual Telly Awards honoring excellence in video and television across all screens, Open to Debate won five different awards - a personal…
May 27, 2021
The Intelligence Briefing: ‘Twas The Sunday After Christmas
...and all through the House, attention was focused on what Georgia’s voters would espouse. A run-off election to control the other chamber, in a contest that could pit neighbor versus neighbor. Meanwhile, vaccinations continued to…
December 28, 2020
Intelligence Briefing: The Electoral College
This week, the Supreme Court heard arguments (over teleconference) on a case that gets to the heart of a truly unique feature in American democracy: The Electoral College. In this faithless elector case, a group…
March 23, 2022
UP FOR DEBATE: Do Identity Politics Win?
In this week's briefing, we dive into identity politics, break down the GOP’s attraction with African Americans, examine why how we count is before SCOTUS, and of course bring you your Sunday reading list. Enjoy.…
December 14, 2020
20 Books To Raise Your IQ This Summer: Our 2020 Summer Reading List
How can you stay sharp this summer? In true Open to Debate fashion, we’re challenging you – our community–to take on a summer reading list with a purpose: bringingnew perspectives to your bookcase. We curated…
June 30, 2020
The Year In Review: The Best Debate Moments Of 2022
2022 has finally ended. Some of it bad, some of it splendid. There was Russia’s invasion. And Ukraine’s self-defense. The west lobbed isolation against Moscow’s offense. This was also the year America closed the door despite…
December 22, 2022
2020 - Year In Review
Looking back at 2020, its been interesting. Open to Debate, like the rest of the world, went virtual as a result of a covid-19 pandemic that upended business models and accelerated trends far beyond…
December 26, 2020
Upcoming Debates
In 2023, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued groundbreaking guidelines to tackle childhood obesity, affecting over 14 million U.S. children and adolescents. These guidelines advocate for earlier, more aggressive interventions, including evaluating adolescents with severe obesity for bariatric surgery and the use of weight loss medications like Ozempic, alongside behavioral and lifestyle treatments. While some healthcare professionals hailed these measures, others expressed concern about whether it goes too far. Those who argue the guidelines are good medicine say that it is a…
Childhood Obesity Guidelines: Good Medicine or Too Extreme?
In 2023, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued groundbreaking guidelines to tackle childhood obesity, affecting over 14 million U.S. children and adolescents. These guidelines advocate for earlier, more aggressive interventions, including evaluating adolescents with severe…
Should Congress Stop Funding the War in Ukraine?
With Heather Conley, Daniel L. Davis, Paula Dobriansky, John J. Mearsheimer
10:00 AM | Friday, April 12, 2024
10:00 AM | Friday, April 12, 2024
Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the United States has provided more than $75 billion in aid to Ukraine, which has been directed toward military operations, economic support, and humanitarian assistance. As the war has gone on, members of Congress have questioned whether we have done enough to help the country and if continuing funding is sustainable. Those who want to continue funding Ukraine say the U.S. has a moral obligation to support the country in its time…
Should Congress Stop Funding the War in Ukraine?
Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the United States has provided more than $75 billion in aid to Ukraine, which has been directed toward military operations, economic support, and humanitarian assistance. As the…
With Heather Conley, Daniel L. Davis, Paula Dobriansky, John J. Mearsheimer
10:00 AM | Friday, April 12, 2024
10:00 AM | Friday, April 12, 2024
DEBATE COMMUNITY
Join a community of social and intellectual leaders that truly value the free exchange of ideas.
EDUCATIONAL BRIEFS
Readings on our weekly debates, debater editorials, and news on issues that affect our everyday lives.
SUPPORT OPEN-MINDED DEBATE
Help us bring debate to communities and classrooms across the nation.