The University as an Information Machine

Climate change, racial and economic injustice and the impact of technology on society can appear to be modern challenges, but when seen in a historical context, rather than being novel these challenges have long tails that extend far back into history.

In the digital age, when social media has increased connection at the expense of community, how can the university—an “information machine” fundamentally different from social media—provide solutions, especially as the U.S. barrels toward an election where many believe democracy itself is on the ballot?

These are some of the themes Professor Charles Tung, PhD, will explore in the season’s first Red Talk, “The University in Deep Time and the Common Good Now.” Tung’s Red Talk, sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Office of the Provost, is 12:30–1:30 p.m., Tuesday, October 22, at Pigott Auditorium. The event is free and open to the campus community. 

“The crisis of national politics at the moment, and its arc away from democracy, seems intimately bound up with the rise of social media and the nature and limits of our information machines, including news media,” says Tung, a scholar of literature and culture whose research touches technology, ecology and race. “And the counterexample to that kind of information machine is the university. The university is not just an information machine but also a formation machine. It's a knowledge and wisdom institution too. It builds belonging and generates community. And it now calls us to think beyond the present and even beyond generations, to think about much longer trajectories and how they bend toward a just and fully humane world.”

Red Talks—a play on TED Talks—is a speaker series that spotlights intersectional voices from Seattle University's distinguished faculty and thought leaders.

Now in its fifth season, this year’s Red Talks theme is “Educating for an Inclusive Democracy,” focusing attention on the role of higher education in promoting civic engagement, respect for diverse perspectives and embracing a shared humanity.

Learn more about Red Talks.