The University of West Florida is set to host a virtual mini-institute on antisemitism and free speech on April 17, designed to “strengthen dialogue capacity not only across campus communities but also within the broader public sphere.”
The free, half-day program, titled “Antisemitism, Free Expression and the Challenge of Dialogue,” aims to “bring together national experts in antisemitism and higher education alongside UWF faculty leaders to explore how individuals, educators and communities can navigate difficult conversations with intellectual rigor, academic freedom and civil discourse,” according to the public university in Pensacola, Fla.
“In my work, I’ve seen that meaningful dialogue doesn’t begin with agreement—it begins with understanding,” stated Aurora Osborn, project lead for the mini-institute and adjunct instructor in the Reubin O’D. Askew Department of Government.
“This institute is an opportunity to ground difficult conversations in knowledge, to ask better questions and to engage across differences with both intellectual integrity and respect,” Osborn said.
Speakers featured include Rachel Fish, co-founder of the Israel-focused think tank Boundless and director of the Brandeis University President’s Initiative on Antisemitism; Nancy Koppelman, a professor at Evergreen State College; and Ahmed Alkhatib, founder and director of the Realign for Palestine project at the Atlantic Council.
Kelly Carr, associate professor and chair of the university’s communication department, stated that “the institute tackles antisemitism as both a rhetorical challenge and an ever-shifting but persistent social reality, all within the context of higher education.”
