Fra: Ina Blom <ina.blom@ifikk.uio.no>

Dato: 28. mai 2010 13.57.46 GMT+02:00

Til: michael@partridges.org.uk, etc.

Emne: middlesex philosophy – letter of concern

Board of Governors

Middlesex University in London

The Burroughs

London NW4 4BT

Dear Board of Governors

We are contacting you to express our concern with the decision to end all of the philosophy programs at Middlesex University, including the internationally renowned MA and PhD programs. We are extremely surprised that a university willingly closes down one of its most productive and original hubs of scholarship and research – particularly at a moment when student numbers are increasing.

We are also shocked to hear of the recent suspension of Professors Osborne and Hallward along with a number of philosophy students, and extremely surprised that your university administrators are going to such steps under your supervision.

The Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy holds a unique position in the academic community, both in the UK and internationally, and colleagues from all over the world eagerly follow its activities, staff and publications. The decision to close the department seems to go against the grain of the most commonly held ideas about the principles of university management and academic life, and we are afraid this will damage the reputation of Middlesex both in the short and long run.

We urge you to stop this plan of action and reinstall our belief that Middlesex University can still be a place of serious learning and academic freedom.

On behalf of the Seminar of Aesthetics, University of  Oslo,

Ina Blom, Professor, Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas

Knut Stene Johansen, Professor, Department of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages

Anne Danielsen, Professor, Department of Musicology

Marit Grøtta, Post Doctoral Fellow,  Department of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages

Hilde Bondevik, Associate Professor, Center for Gender Research

Karin Gundersen Professor, Department of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages

Torberg Foss, Clinical psychologist, psychoanalyst

Ragnhild Tronstad, Post Doctoral Fellow, Department of Media and Communication

Aino Rinhaug, Post doctoral Fellow, Department of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages

Arne Melberg, Professor, Department of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages

Anne Wichstrøm, Professor, Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas

Stian Grøgaard, Professor, The Art Academy of Oslo

Ståle Wikshåland, Professor, Department of Musicology

Christian Refsum, Associate Professor, Department of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages

Eivind Røssaak, Associate Professor, The National Library of Norway

Liv Hausken,  Associate Professor, Department of Media and Communication

Erling Guldbrandsen, Professor, Department og Musicology

Boel Christensen Scheel, Ph.D, Theatre Studies