In an open letter to the Stanford community, Dean Arun Majumdar of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability (SDSS) addresses the crucial principles of academic freedom and the significance of trust in research partnerships. The letter applauds the collaborative efforts of six students from diverse backgrounds who recently published recommendations on engaging with fossil fuel companies, highlighting the importance of their contributions.
Dean Majumdar expresses gratitude to the students who collaborated across diverse professional backgrounds to publish recommendations on engaging with fossil fuel companies. He commends their efforts and emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and responding to their recommendations with attention and respect.
Reflecting on his year in the role and engaging with individuals globally, Dean Majumdar notes the significant impact of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. He highlights the ambitious approach, early execution, and timing of SDSS, emphasizing the long journey ahead as outlined in the school’s one-year anniversary report.
Addressing the issue of engagement with fossil fuel companies, Dean Majumdar highlights progress made within the Stanford community. He discusses a listening tour conducted within SDSS, the formation of the Committee on Funding for Energy Research and Education (CFERE), and a gathering and dialogue held on May 31, 2023, to address the complex issue. The students’ recommendations align with CFERE’s purview, allowing the committee independence in its evaluations.
Dean Majumdar underscores the core institutional value of academic freedom, providing protection to the academic community for the freedom of inquiry, thought, expression, and assembly. He reaffirms that within the bounds of academic freedom, individuals have discretion in deciding which research topics to pursue and external partners to engage with.
Drawing from his experience as a researcher, Dean Majumdar highlights that research partnerships extend beyond funding and publications. He emphasizes that partnerships are built on trust, involving the exchange of ideas, identification of knowledge gaps, and the promise of creating societal value at scale. He emphasizes that the foundation of such partnerships is trust.
Dean Majumdar pledges to uphold academic freedom at SDSS, guiding resources to support knowledge-driven and solutions-driven research. He assures that decisions related to the Sustainability Accelerator and initial funding stages will be independent of corporate investments. The dean encourages faculty members to reflect on their choices in exercising academic freedom and building partnerships based on trust to address climate change and create a sustainable future.
The open letter signifies the commitment of SDSS to academic freedom, trust in research partnerships, and the ongoing pursuit of sustainability goals at Stanford University.
