Towards research and teaching civically committed to emancipation

In an era misnamed post-pandemic and marked by inflation, war in Ukraine, energy and eco-social crisis, class struggle, as well as culture wars and information impoverishment, higher education has also been negatively affected-more so after four decades of neoliberal assault and attempts to redefine education as an individual commodity, rather than a common good. Thus, in times of crisis, both the humanities and their civic mission are under continuous scrutiny and attack. For this reason, this essay argues for the development of collaborative, interdisciplinary and horizontal projects that bring together research and teaching staff with students and people from different communities, all working together to promote social and ecological justice, while making the work of faculty more useful and visible. This proposal ranges from the creation of non-profit and self-managed platforms, or active participation in media, documentaries or experiences of intergenerational and intercultural coeducation; to projects to promote awareness and participation of Latino voters; or the construction of interdisciplinary projects of critical research.