More universities are disinviting commencement speakers who might challenge students’ ideas, unraveling an apolitical tradition

By Austin Sarat, William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Jurisprudence and Political Science, Amherst College

Delivering a university commencement address used to simply be a unique kind of honor. Speakers stand before a podium, wearing a traditional graduation cap and robe, and offer graduates life lessons and inspirational words as they enter the next phase of life.

But today, speaking at a university commencement ceremony carries considerable risk, as Morton Schapiro, former president of Northwestern University, recently found…

Read complete article

~	How employers can support workers when they take medical leave

~	Liberia: School Fees Block Children’s Access to Education

~	The illusion of online public opinion in Lebanon’s political conflicts

~	Politics with Michelle Grattan: Margaret Thornton on the landmark Tickle v Giggle transgender case

~	New ‘AI scientists’ are improving – but reveal their fundamental limits

~	For decades, Australian institutions have displayed stolen human remains. But there’s a way forward

~	How does street lighting impact wildlife and when should we turn off the lights?

~	How switching to smarter lighting can cut energy bills and boost your health

~	Why early medieval Ireland had laws for bees

~	Cathedrals by Claudia Piñeiro is a gripping Argentinian crime story about gender violence and the weaponisation of religion