Autonomy, culture and Higher Education

A Conversation with award-winning author Sergio Ramírez (Nicaragua)

Ramírez has been living in exile in Spain for three years, having been stripped of his Nicaraguan citizenship and banned by the dictatorship in his homeland. But his literature lives on and continues to be spread despite the fact that it can be dangerous to openly read his work in Nicaragua. His life has been characterised by literature and a tireless commitment to democracy. As a law student, he founded a literary magazine and protested against the brutal regime of President Somoza. As criticism of the regime increased in the 1970s, Mr Ramírez participated as an intellectual in the struggle that led to the fall of Somoza. He later became vice-president of the new government and was also president of the National Education Council. He has taught at several universities in the United States and Europe and is a regular contributor to several Spanish-language newspapers such as El País in Spain, El Tiempo in Colombia and La Jornada in Mexico. His literary works have won international awards and have been translated into several languages.

Ramírez's experience as a writer, teacher and politician with a special interest in education is unique. Based on the university environment, he was involved in a revolution. He has also witnessed the return of an authoritarian regime. His life and work provide the framework for a discussion on the autonomy of culture and universities in relation to democracy, with the participation of Lisa Pelling and Anna Forné. The conversation is chaired by Christina Kullberg, project leader at the research programme Democracy and Higher Education.

Other participants:

Lisa Pelling is a political scientist with many years of experience in Latin America, currently head of the Arena Idé.

Anna Forné is a  professor of Spanish, specialising in South American literature at University of Gothenburg.

Christina Kullberg is a Professor in French, specialising in Caribbean literature at Uppsala University.

The conversation will be streamed. Open to all.

Register here no later than May 14