Knowledge Under Siege

Knowledge Under Siege: Charting a Future for Universities
Edited by Marc Spooner and James McNinch
Published by University of Regina Press
Review by Toby A. Welch  
$36.95 ISBN 9781779401243

When I turned the last page of this powerhouse book, I felt so many emotions – enlightened, drained, and wiser. I would expect nothing less from a University of Regina Press publication; they always dig deep into the heart of the topics they cover, leaving readers more informed and eager to continue learning. 

Knowledge Under Siege tackles so many questions about higher education, but one of the biggest ones, as the authors point out, is: “What kind of society do we want universities to serve and to aspire to become?” The chapters explore the role of universities (What are universities for? Who are universities for?), the effects of politics and governments on universities, the shortfalls of contemporary institutions, possibilities for the future, and so much more. It even explores whether universities contribute to inequality versus creating equitable societies.

A side topic that I appreciated that this book touched on was the role of artificial intelligence. AI is such an all-encompassing topic in our daily lives so exploring how it is impacting universities was especially interesting. The diverse ways universities are responding to AI in our rapidly changing technological world are fascinating to examine. 

After learning so many random facts, I feel like I could tackle a higher education category on Jeopardy. Did you know Harvard was the first university in colonial America, established in 1636? Or that the first Black college opened in 1837 on a farm outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania? Historical details are just one example of how the book connects the past to the complicated realities universities face today.

Despite the title, this is not a negative book about university systems in crisis. It is grounded in research and explores how universities have adapted to changing expectations from their communities and governments. It even examines the differences between universities operating under liberal democracies versus totalitarian or authoritarian systems. It also offers a glimpse at the future of such institutions.  

A major reason this book exists is a symposium held in Regina in May 2023: What Are Universities For? Exploring Roles, Challenges, Conflicting Tensions, and Promising Re-Imaginings. If you want to dive even deeper into this subject once you are done reading Knowledge Under Siege, the entire symposium is available free of charge at whatareuniversitiesfor.ca. 

At the end of the day, Knowledge Under Siege is not about declaring universities broken or perfect. It’s about asking hard questions and being willing to examine where we have been, where we are now, and where we want to go next. I love when a nonfiction book leaves me feeling smarter but also curious enough to keep digging – Knowledge Under Siege absolutely did that!

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