Is it always the case? “Research” universities partner with nearby military installations?
Bloomington’s Indiana University is located 35 miles from Crane Indiana, site of the Crane Warfare Center, the third largest naval installation in the world.
Looking back, I find this, from 2016:
In 2020, this, “shared research space” with Crane on IU’s campus:
https://news.iu.edu/live/news/26729-dedicated-technology-engineering-space-created-for
Actually, there has been a “symbiotic relationship” between IU and nearby Crane for 20 years. And now it’s ramping up: on October 10, 2023, only three days after Hamas attacked Israel and ignited what appears to be accelerating into the most dangerous warfare scenario in human history, our local university actually announces it’s teaming up with the third largest naval installation in the world. Here’s the Indiana Daily Student story on this new partnership:
https://www.idsnews.com/article/2023/11/iu-nwsc-crane-partnership-microelectronics-growth
The above article includes one dissenting voice, which I quote here:
However, Benjamin Robinson, IU associate professor of Germanic Studies, voiced his concern about the proposal. He said he vehemently opposed the partnership for two main reasons. He said the humanities departments at IU are being increasingly neglected in favor of shifting focus towards advancements in technology and AI, which goes against the fact IU was built upon its commitment to the greater good through the humanities and liberal arts programs.
He said these core values of IU are being further manipulated by external parties and highlighted IU should not be making such a grand investment with a warfare department at a time when wars rage on several fronts across the globe. He advocated for increased attention toward language and cultural education. He further said IU’s job as the number-one Ph.D granting institution in humanities is to foster a thoughtful citizenry, but the university is now switching its priorities.
He feels IU needs to prioritize investing in society, healthcare and equality, and constraining tech growth. He also insists IU focuses too much on the 2030 Strategic Plan and they’re consequently losing sight of the bigger picture. He primarily stressed that, as IU searches for grants, it must also assess whether the grants serve the public good.
Is Profesor Robinson the only one at IU who objects? How about we citizens in Bloomington, and surrounding counties?
I find it interesting that I have seen no article on IU formally partnering with the Military Industrial Complex in Bloomington’s supposedly local paper, The Herald-Times. Why? Don’t they consider it a significant story? However, Jeremy Hogan, editor and photographer for his own tiny publication, The Bloomingtonian, is on it.
I think back to when, as a ’60s feminist, I assumed that if only women would get in positions of authority, we would see a softening, a melting into peace.
The president of IU, Pamela Whitten, is a woman.
