The Meaning of Academic Practice in Times of Environmental Crisis

A debate about how we, students, and scholars of Maastricht University, intend to continue, adapt, and rethink our academic practice in response to the current state of planetary ecosystems.

Caught between their scientific grasp of present and impending environmental disasters, norms of scholarly practice, and institutional pressures to remain detached, students and scholars are increasingly having to face up to a pressing question: *what is the role of academic practice in an age of environmental crisis?* What might or indeed should scholarship be? Is it enough to continue writing, teaching and learning about the issues at stake here? Should this crisis feature in all research and education, given that it has repercussions for all domains of society and will determine students’ futures? If we accept the reality and urgency of this crisis, how can we justify not taking direct action?

In addressing these and other related questions, this debate provides a forum for cross-faculty conversation on the meaning of academic practice in times of environmental crisis.