Pandemics, inequality, academia, and the public

Walter Scheidel

Drawing on some of my own research and on my personal experience with engaging audiences beyond our own little corner of academia, I will talk about the interaction of historical pandemics and inequality, about ways of relating the current pandemic to historical cases, and about my own interaction with academics in other disciplines and with news media regarding these issues. The current collapse of traditional academic employment opportunities and the impending restructuring of higher education lend particular urgency to openness and outreach, and I hope we will have a discussion about that.