Can Universities Survive? Politics and the International University w/Lea Ypi

Universities face existential questions regarding their survival in the 21st century as they navigate increasing dependence on external funding and technological platforms. While global university systems vary significantly in their pedagogical methods—ranging from Italian oral examinations to Anglo-American essay-based assessments—they share a fundamental institutional structure rooted in the pursuit of knowledge. Political and market pressures often threaten the relative autonomy of these institutions, yet the research seminar remains a vital, irreplaceable site of critical inquiry. This space fosters a unique community of debate where human doubt and intellectual challenge persist, distinguishing academic discourse from the mimicry of artificial intelligence. By maintaining these spaces of rigorous, intersubjective exchange, universities preserve their role as essential sites for questioning power structures and fostering genuine intellectual progress, even as they adapt to a rapidly changing global landscape.