Rector Kaarlo Hildén responds to the questions raised by the email message that was sent yesterday
Yesterday on 13 November, I sent a message to the university community with the subject line ”It’s important that everyone can find Uniarts Helsinki a safe environment”. The aim of the message was to promote the rule of not using the university’s email lists for sharing political messages, because some of the university community’s members have expressed that they find it distressing and disturbing.
I have received a lot of feedback on the message, and two questions, in particular, come up repeatedly: Why does the university say it is politically non-aligned and does not comment on the situation in Gaza, even though it clearly condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine, and does Uniarts Helsinki want to silence the community’s societal discussions by sending the rector’s message?
Uniarts Helsinki condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine in February 2022 along with Finnish and European universities. The war threatened Finland as Russia’s neighbour and changed our foreign policy that had persisted decades. We prepared to receive thousands of Ukrainian refugees as part of the European burden sharing, which had a concrete effect on Uniarts Helsinki, too. The university was also obligated to follow international decisions on sanctions.
Now, too, we condemn violence, especially war crimes and terrorism against civilians. We also condemn all racism and discrimination based on religion, ethnicity or other background. We must make sure that the university is a safe space for everyone, regardless of the person’s background and connection to the crisis.
By no means does Uniarts Helsinki want to silence the societal debate of the university community. However, the university aims to keep its university-administered email lists free from political messages.
Universities are not political operators. In times of crises, we have an important role as we generate research-based knowledge, spark up discussions on values, defend education and autonomous science and art and encourage people to have critical discussions as a community, where conflicting opinions are considered a starting point and a resource.
As the climate of debate has been exacerbated and the world is undergoing complex crises, it takes not only information and courage but also sensitivity and wisdom to identify the appropriate means and platforms for making an impact in each situation. As individuals, citizens, artists and researchers, we have the opportunity and obligation to make a difference in society and to voice our thoughts – this is something that I encourage all of us to do.
Kaarlo Hildén
Rector