Talk Overview

In the face of global challenges such as Covid, what is the place of the Humanities proper – that is those disciplinary fields which are grounded not only in the recognition of human value, but also in the exploration of emotion, uncertainty, ‘unknowing’ in its broadest sense? The world rightly looked to science for a solution to Covid and was apparently rewarded, so should we be worried, as writer James Bridle suggests in his bleak diagnosis of the domination of science and technology, about the loss of human value and values as enshrined in Humanities disciplines? 

Throughout the pandemic, the expertise of scientists was communicated across social media platforms and news outlets in ways that was easily accessible to the general public, and within the disciplinary economy of research environments, the vast majority of funding was inevitably directed towards scientific discovery.  Are we therefore witnessing a fatal blow for the Humanities unless a ‘vaccine’ for these apparently ailing disciplines is not developed, or is the death of the Humanities just another conspiracy theory? My talk imagines a new way of thinking about the role of the Humanities in tackling global challenges. 

About the Speaker

Margaret is Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement at Queen’s University Belfast. She is also Professor of French and Intercultural Communication, and her current research centres on debates around: travel, migration and mobility; the ethics and aesthetics of cross-cultural communication and representation; and the public value of the Arts and Humanities. Her recent book, The Humanities Pandemic: Towards an Essential Services Approach (Palgrave, 2023) argues for the importance of the Humanities in tackling global challenges such as Covid.

Margaret is also involved in a range of social innovation initiatives both within Queen’s University and in the wider community. She has recently completed a term as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Turnaround Project, a charity providing transitional employment opportunities for people coming out of the justice system. She is also involved with a range of projects with cross-community youth organisations in Belfast, creating opportunities for young people to achieve their potential.