policy & reform
campusreview.com.au
Ramsay Centre CEO Professor Simon Haines. Photo: Supplied
Who’s afraid of the Ramsay Centre?
Centre’s CEO defends Western civilisation degree and
describes critics as “narrow, divisive and non-inclusive”.
Simon Haines interviewed by Wade Zaglas
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stablished in March 2017 through a bequest by the Ramsay
Foundation, the Ramsay Centre’s objective is to reinvigorate
the study of Western civilisation in Australia.
The centre aims to have its program taught in two or three
universities initially, mainly in NSW and the ACT. It will offer
undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships, resulting in no bill
for the taxpayer.
At the heart of the Ramsay Centre is a passionate belief that
all Australians should have the opportunity to learn about the
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history and achievements of Western civilisation. In a promotional
video for the centre, CEO Professor Simon Haines reflects on the
civilisation’s key achievements, including dramatic scientific, political
and economic advancements that have improved humanity, such
as antiseptics, the rule of law and democracy.
Former Australian prime minister John Howard also appears
in a promotional video, highlighting how the Enlightenment and
the Judaeo-Christian ethic have shaped the freedoms and rights
individuals enjoy in Australia.
Critics of the centre, however, see a pernicious side to the
program, arguing it “whitewashes history” and privileges a Western
culture forged out of colonialism, imperialism, racism and patriarchy.
Political professor Robert Manne, who gave the program a cautious
nod, warned in a wide-reaching article in The Monthly that the
program must not ignore these “dark chapters of Western history”.