Prof Ravi Kanbur: TB Davie Memoral Lecture 2020

Prof. Ravi Kanbur presented a memorable TB Davie Memorial Lecture yesterday, 5 August 2020, on ‘Economic Inequality and Academic Freedom’.

Nominated to be this year's speaker by Prof. Haroon Bhorat, DPRU Director, Ravi (who is a long-time research collaborator of the Unit, and a prolific co-author too), focused on the implications of rising economic inequality for academic freedom, and the role of economic resources in determining opportunities in academic education and research.

Ravi is a professor of economics at Cornell University in the United States, and delivered the keynote address during the annual (virtual) TB Davie Memorial Lecture, saying: “Since the underlying forces of our time are geared towards rising inequality, policy has to be targeted purposively to addressing and countering these forces to enhance positive freedom, including academic freedom in the positive sense.” 

The TB Davie Memorial Lecture, organised by the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Academic Freedom Committee, is currently in its 61st year, and was introduced by UCT students in honour of Thomas Benjamin Davie, a former UCT vice-chancellor and defender of the principles of academic freedom, who passed away in 1955.

Read Ravi's paper in full here, see his slide presentation here and see the UCT news article covering the event  here.