James G. R. Cronin

From medieval seminary to the consultancy campus, universities have served the needs of society -, but those needs go beyond economic success or technological advance . . . so begins a thought-provoking commentary published in the Times Literary Supplement , 7 May 2010, in which Sir Keith Thomas, historian and distinguished Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, defends the value of the humanities and arts to society. He argues that universities have always served the needs of society and should continue to do so, but these needs go beyond material success. Currently, in British higher education, the position of non-STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects is seriously being threatened. Thomas argues that the present economic crisis has not diminished the relevancy of the humanities. On the contrary, Thomas asserts that linguistic sensitivity, the capacity to evaluate an argument, an understanding of the past and an awareness of cultural difference remain indispe...

Broadcaster, Philip King, presented an insightful conversation at the Glucksman Gallery, Cork Thursday afternoon, 6th May 2010, focusing around the question of how Ireland can re-imagine itself in the midst of this current recession. He spoke about the transmission of music and its potential to engage with a living tradition, which can be transmitted and, in turn, can lead to personal transformation. King encouraged engagement with the arts as tools of critical reflection. Are we doing enough to encourage this process? How should we go about fostering it? The 1987 film Wall Street is best remembered for Gordon Gekko’s “Greed is Good” monologue. This is the predominant ethos in Western culture. The current economic crisis has shown that free market capitalism is not working for the majority of society. Yet failure often provides opportunities for re-thinking action. This crisis offers the perfect opportunity to reflect on how the dominant ethos can be questioned and re-assessed. Educa...