In this lecture, I address the question as to what the social purpose of universities is today. I will present, first, an account of critical social theory that has animated much of my academic work, one that underlines the ultimate significance for modern democratic societies of the value of social freedom. I will then turn to the university as an institution that plays a key role as an instrument of social freedom in the reproduction of modern societies.

The university, as a privileged site of individual formation, has a special role in fostering freedom. Students prepare themselves, through self-exploration, to give back to society in their personal relationships, in the exchange of services through the world of work and in democratic practices. As well as supporting their students to go on to make positive differences in all of the communities in which they will be embedded, universities also engage in research and in fostering partnerships these too should be focused on contributing to the realisation of effective social freedom for all citizens.

Universities should properly be evaluated, therefore, on the extent to which they succeed in enhancing social freedom for all. By clarifying the purpose of the university as a modern institution, which is to be effective as an instrument of social freedom, we will be better placed to offer valuable critical perspectives on contemporary controversies regarding higher education policy.

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