Far-right politics and the university: A geographical perspective

The global resurgence of far-right politics has had a significant impact on higher education, raising questions about the present and future of universities. This review article is a starting point to think about the contemporary far-right attacks on universities from a geographical perspective. By combining insights from geographical research on universities and far-right politics, the article develops a research agenda and suggests potential themes of inquiry. It examines the multiple intersections between far-right politics, geography and universities, the continuities and discontinuities between historical and contemporary iterations of far-right politics, as well as the contextual differences in the manifestation of far-right politics within universities. Drawing from contemporary examples, the article suggests four areas of future research – knowledge production and education, everyday spaces, economic geographies and spaces of resistance, to approach the multifaceted relationships between universities and far-right politics. Finally, the article also posits questions on responsibility in this context, outlining the need to imagine and realise anti-fascist universities.