Where you stand depends on where you sit: The challenge of being an academic turned Head of State
25 years ago, Gudni Jóhannesson was writing his doctoral dissertation in modern history at St Antony’s. He then worked in academia but in 2016, he became president of Iceland. That drastic shift provided unique opportunities but also unique challenges.
As academics, we should strive for objectivity and detachment from the perceived interests of government and state. Can presidents enjoy that luxury or freedom? And what about independence and interdependence in a globalized world? Can we be proud patriots and global citizens at the same time? And in the speaker’s particular case: Can a historian turned president uphold ideals of academic freedom and objectivity on the one hand and the need for national unity and a spirit of endless optimism on the other hand?
Date:
27 February 2024, 17:00 (Tuesday, 7th week, Hilary 2024)
Venue:
St Antony's College - Main Site, 62 Woodstock Road OX2 6JF
Venue Details:
Investcorp Auditorium
Speaker:
Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson (President of Iceland)
Organising department:
European Studies Centre
Organiser:
Julie Adams (St Antony's College, University of Oxford)
Organiser contact email address:
julie.adams@sant.ox.ac.uk
Host:
Othon Anastasakis (St Antony's College, University of Oxford)
Part of:
European Studies Seminar
Booking required?:
Not required
Audience:
Public
Editor:
Julie Adams
