For over a century, there has been a view that the Humanities are in a crisis. Some scholars argue that the word “crisis” is inappropriate as it suggests that the Humanities are faced with extinction when all they are doing is what they have always done – reinventing themselves, staying relevant and thriving. Such scholars believe that as long as humans exist, it is inconceivable for the Humanities to be extinct. What cannot be ignored is the relentless drive in the last couple of decades towards education for economic gain, which has seen governments and corporates reduce funding for Humanities and inversely increase the funding of STEM. It might make sense, therefore, to think of the Humanities at consistent crossroads for renewal and not crisis. The real crisis, some scholars in the Humanities argue, is that those in the humanities do not articulate frequently and forcefully enough the value of the Humanities. To that end, while this conference will reflect on the “crisis” discourse, its main thrust will be how the Humanities are repositioning themselves for relevance, impact and excellence in the 21st century.
