Critical Thoughts

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What is the vocation of the university in the twenty-first century?  In an era of departmental closures, performance based research funding and strategic management, the primary purpose of universities and the core values sustaining that purpose are often far from obvious. At this juncture, Newman’s vision of the University as a School of Universal Learning seems a distant memory rather than a future target.

Critical Thoughts is a major conference that seeks to address these issues.  Hosted by the Combined Chaplaincies at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, the conference aims to stimulate thinking on the university’s role in the development of students, society and culture.  Under the pressure of market forces, how can teaching occur and knowledge be pursued in ways that promote wisdom and understanding?