Fox Center 2024-25 Theme: "Democracy: Past, Present, Future"

How do the Humanities help us understand Democracy?

Termed the "year of elections," 2024 was a pivotal turning point for over seventy countries around the world that are facing elections. With this critical moment in mind, the Fox Center launched our first annual theme "Democracy: Past, Present, Future" for AY 2024-2025. 

As history has taught us, democracy is not simply defined by government structures like policies, elections, or laws. Democracy is also deeply influenced by art, education, and public discussions where people can shape and express their own democratic values. With "Democracy: Past, Present, Future," the Fox Center invites our communities near and far to interrogate these democratic values and systems as well their importance in everyday life and humanities research, at large. 

As the Fox Center explores "Democracy: Past, Present, Future," we are excited to host a series of exciting programming that includes our Keynote Address on September 18th, an event with The Guardian newspaper on voting rights on October 23rd, and an upcoming panel on dictatorship through a global comparative lens in Spring 2025. "Democracy: Past, Present, and Future" also encompasses our newest cohort of scholars-in-residence whose rich research explores democracy through interdisciplinary approaches and international perspectives.  

Please find out more about our upcoming events, our fellows and their projects, and how to support our work below.