The Campus Collaboration

Affinity is Sydney based intercutlural and interfaith non-profit organisation with a mission to build and sustain enduring friendships and cultural exchanges people of all backgrounds through quality dialogue, sincerity and service.

The Project on Civic Dialogue offers opportunities to listen and communicate across differences. The Project's programming includes: academic and co-curricular programs, and public events e.g. "Disagree with a professor".

Amplify is a Australian based organisation that works with evidence-based research and community voice to build political courage and rebuild the 'Australian promise' of a good life.

The Civic Discourse Project is a multi-year project addressing the pressing issues of our times.  Each year, the project addresses a particular important theme by inviting the top minds- civic leaders, academics, public intellectuals - engaged in thinking through the big ideas and challenges facing American society, to discuss and explore them with our community.

Through community-building, civic engagement, and meaningful participation, the Center for Rising Voices shapes policies, institutions, and society by fostering intergenerational collaboration, supporting youth- and young adult-led innovation, and helping young changemakers bring their ideas to life.

The Aspen Institute Socrates Program holds seminars salons, and summits with industry professionals, artists, scholars, university interns and recent graduates around the world. The Program promotes learning through collaborative and moderated dialogues around carefully selected contemporary texts.

The authors of this report conducted an interview-based research project – collecting insights from students, faculty, staff, and administrators at campuses across the country – to describe this undercurrent of conflict and provide recommendations for moving forward. This report is intended as a peer-informed resource for higher education administrators, faculty, and staff by diagnosing the conflict and surfacing promising directions for addressing conflict on campus.

The Australian Academy of the Humanities promotes and advocates for the social, cultural, environmental and economic significance of humanities scholarship and its role in shaping effective public policy.It plays a key role as a national voice for cultural, creative and ethical thinking, especially in a rapidly changing and increasingly interconnected world.

Australian Dialogues is an informal network of diverse organisations interested in participating in, or supporting, better across-the-aisle discussions on significant policy issues, raising the quality of public discourse.

Focusing on access and inclusion, in July 2022 ANU engaged with low-SES students to "understand this group of students who are an underrepresented but important part of our community, the challenges they have faced and where they have found support to recommend change that positively affects a range of students."

A UK-based annual festival that embraces open, public debate designedto help people collectively confront turbulent political and cultural changes by arguing freely, thinking critically, and shaping the future through genuine, unfiltered conversation.

A review of research and policy on social cohesion in Europe, including how it is defined, trends and what interventions have been made (2022).

In 2024, Brunel launched a series of public-facing conversations, aimed at creating open discussions for students, local community, and academics to unpack recent research. The intention behind the series was to involve the wider public in research, make a space to engage freely on academic concepts in a non-academic space, and re-affirm the University's position as an anchor institution.

A thinktank examining issues of civil society and social cohesion through campus and public dialogues research.

The CARE Center (Civility, Access, Resources, and Expression) provides resources to the college community to foster skills needed to have difficult conversations, connect across social barriers and ideological difference, and engage in effective dialogue for problem-solving. The CARE Center hires students to serve in a Leadership Cohort as CARE Fellows.

A review of how social cohesion is conceptualised and measured in education (2021).

The initiative was established to highlight the value of civility when sharing opposing ideas and how these civil conversations could help to bridge political divides. The initiative has two communications led approaches, Firstly, it brings journalists, writers, and commentators to present new ideas on how to get along better in a democracy through a series of events. It also offers training and workshops on the art of argument, media literacy, and healthy conflict.The initiative also has a podcast, When We Disagree.

The Consortium of Humanities Centers and Institutes is a global forum that strengthens the work of humanities centers and institutes through advocacy, grant-making, and inclusive collaboration.

CHASS promotes and provides advocacy services for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) in Australia. Supporting more than 75 member organisations in their relationships with policy makers and the broader community, CHASS is an important network for knowledge and skills, and serves as a coordinating forum for teachers, researchers, professionals, practitioners and policy makers in the sector. It provides a strong voice to the sector and helps members to contribute to public debate through programs for knowledge exchange and media awareness.

Middle East Dialogues is a series of public-facing dialogues held by faculty on issues related to the long history of conflict in the Middle East. Alongside forums, webinars and articles, the program is offering training courses taught by faculty to equip learners will further understanding of and tools to discuss the conflict.

The Alfred Deakin Institute has four transdisciplinary research streams addressing issues of citizenship and globalisation. They produce outputs that influence public debate and shape policy.

The CRIC uses a community collaborative approach to research some of the trickiest challenges that our society is facing – racism, societal division, systemic bias and disadvantage, economic inequities, extremism and discrimination.

The Tackling Hate Lab bridges the gap between research and real-world impact through cutting-edge, data driven analysis from computational, social, and psychological science methods focussing on online patterns of hostility, terrorist propaganda, violence, and ideological aggression.

The Civil Discourse Project organises events, studies and resources to encourage the teaching of civil discourse in classrooms. Primarily funded by private foundations, they host seminars for teachers to help students navigate discussions on sensitive topics.

This initiative s supported by a $2million grant and complements the Civil Discourse Project which represents a campus-wide effort to support constructive conversations and open deliberation in the classroom and across out campus.

The Ethics Centre is an Australian not-for-profit organisation developing and delivering innovative programs, services and experiences, designed to bring ethics to the centre of personal and professional life.

Facing History provide courses on democracy, civil discourse, engaging with current political events and other civic life issues. They both directly teach to students and provide training courses for teachers.

Festival of Dangerous Ideas is a flagship event presented by The Ethics Centre, bringing together Australian and international thought leaders, presenters, and change-makers. FODI welcomes all kinds of people with curious minds to convene and embrace different perspectives, daring conversation, and tackle the world’s most wicked problems.

Folio is a contemporary forum for curious citizens to meaningfully connect and engage with issues of common concern.

Student-led social society hosting informed academic debates about all things political.

The Civil Discourse initiative was launched in 2023 to promote open inquiry and civility at the school. It achieves this by providing programs on civil discourse and hosting events known as the Harvard Dialogues. The Dialogues include listening sessions to hear from the Harvard community, as well as interdisciplinary conversations between faculties.

The Candid and Constructive Conversation project aims to foster an environment of openness, humility, and respect necessay for the robust exchange of ideas. The project published a Report & Recommendations paper guiding the strategic direction, including through the implementation of major dialogue events, classroom preparation workshops and resources, skill-building opportunities, through the CCC Clinic, cultural change, and special innovations.

The Constructive Disagreement Project at the Harvard Kennedy School develops, tests, and disseminates low cost, evidence-based, scalable interventions to support constructive engagement with opposing views for organisations in education, healthcare, and the media.

A faculty working group convened to ask "how best to reinforce and nurture a culture of open inquiry and constructive dialogue." A report with recommendations was released in October 2024.

The Public Culture Project aims to revivify our shared public life by placing existential, moral and even spiritual questions at the center of our public conversations. We want to mine the deep insights, traditions and longings of our fellow citizens, and inspire current and future leaders to develop and advance beautiful, humane visions of who we are, and what we can become together.

The Human Flourishing Project has several thematic research streams, including Character and Formation and Meeting and Purpose. Based on their conceptual and empirical research, the HFP produces research outputs including academic papers and toolkits for practice.

HxA work with universities in North America to promote open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement. They produce research reports based on research from the Mike & Sofia Segal Centre for Academic Pluralism, toolkits for educators, policy recommendations, and various forms of public dialogues.

A twice-yearly philosophy and music festival held in London and Hay-on-Wye. The festival features lectures, panel discussions, and debates from experts and artists to "get philosophy out of the academy and into people's lives".

The Global Initiative on Polarization produce research and materials on addressing polarisation. They convene meetings between world leaders and produce ongoing resources on the principles and actions needed.

The International Alliance of Youth Writing Centers share a common belief that young people need places where they can write and be heard, where they can have their voices polished, published, and amplified. Like Sydney Story Factory, and Melbourne's 100 Story Building, the Alliance has a focus on countering social exclusion of young immigrants.

A case study examination of content online between students focussing on (in)civility (2013).

A review of the courses on civil discourse within the higher education curriculum (2022).

Campus Conversations is a peer support group run by students to foster connections, socialise, and learn from each other. They offer weekly in-person activities, discussions and skills workshops at no cost. Initially launched as a community organising effort before COVID, the initiative aimed to enhance engagement and enrich the student experience on campus.

Fellowships, training and conferences that support interdisciplinary, creative thinking about solving social issues. Lehigh created the principle of 'Creative Inquiry 101' for guiding this work, which emphasised inquiry-based learning spaces for students, where they can experiment, ask questions and engage with what they're being taught.

Monash University has dedicated $1 million over two years to support a research program headed by Associate Professor David Slucki and Dr Susan Carland. This initiative aims to investigate the nature and experiences of antisemitism, Islamophobia and related biases, as well as to create and evaluate programs to improve social cohesion on campus. Additionally, the project will double the number of humanitarian scholarships at Monash University, particularly for students impacted by ongoing conflicts.

Brave Conversations design workshops, toolkits, and immersive experiences that invite participants to sit with discomfort, listen across differences, disagree thoughtfully, and engage in dialogue with openness and integrity.

Monash Intercultural Lab offers undergraduate, postgraduate and professional development programs for Monash staff and students, as well as external organisations, that foster thriving, connected and resilient communities. The Lab achieves this through undertaking world-class translation, interpreting and intercultural scholarship.

An article examining the separation of international and local students, focussing on different student experiences and interactions (2000).

A Norweigan based knowledge centre promoting peace and dialogue across conflict lines through public talks, training and international peace and democracy projects.

The Social Cohesion Research Programme promotes research into social cohesion at different scales, focussing particularly on global issues and their effect on local social cohesion. Some of the Programme's publication topics include internet consumption, counter-terrorism and economic integration.

The University Museum of Contemporary Art at the National Autonomous University of Mexico's Expanded Campus Program works to promote the Museum as a site of critical knowledge production through dialogue, research, especially around aesthetic and political theory, and creativity.

The NYU wide, student-focused initiative brings public leaders and scholars for dialogues conducted in good faith to bridge divides and address civic challenges through initiatives like the Institute's Student Fellows program, events, seminars, and public dialogues.

The Pluralist Lab was a half-day interactive workshop aimed at fostering respectful dialogue among students with diverse backgrounds. Activities included discussions on listening, constructive criticism, empathy and the use of innovative methods like coloured paddles to signal agreement or disagreement, promoting mutual understanding and critical thinking.

The Civil Discourse Project combines training on civil discourse, a fellowship program and a toolkit for respectful dialogue. Resources are provided for both students and staff. The project also encourages a variety of events designed to actively engage individuals across differences.

The Oxford Character Project offers courses and leads research which aims to cultivate a new generation of wise thinkers and good leaders - individuals equipped with character and competence to drive positive change across government, business, and civil society.

A theoretical outline of how universities can use curriculum and culture to increase social cohesion (2005).

Primary Ethics classes run in Australian schools, inviting children to explore everyday ethical issues whilst fostering thinking, reasoning, and communication skills.

The Academic Freedom Initiative organizes occasional events to probe the philosophical bases of academic freedom, to study its history in different parts of the world, and, not least, to hear from those who have been involved in concretely defending it

Future Values Initiative supports scholarship that expands traditional approaches to normative inquiry and applied ethics of science and technology, critically examining present injustices by imagining and co-creating radically different futures. Their work equips scientists with tools to understand how values shape the production of science and how its benefits and costs are socially distributed, and where humanists are partners in the innovation process rather than critics after the fact. They aim to evolve normative thinking and scientific practice to meet the challenges of the present age.

The Principle of Charity podcast, hosted by Emile Sherman and Lloyd Vogelman, models curiosity and generosity in difficult conversations, bringing two expert guests with opposing views on big social issues.

The Rationally Speaking Podcast, hosted by Julia Galef in New York, and experts across various fields, explores important issues with nuance and rigor.

As part of its wider poverty-reduction services, Reconciliation Services provides best practice leadership training that addresses how to lead diverse teams inclusively and address biases.

A broad review of social cohesion across Australia, including issues of social justice, trust in instutions and other social factors (2022).

The Scanlon Institute releases an annual social cohesion study of Australia, looking in detail at public opinion on cohesion, trust, diversity and social issues.

The School of Moral Ambition is a project that was borne forth from Rutger Bregman's book, Moral Ambition (2025) which challenges notions of success to encourage talented young graduates to pursue a career dedicated to solving global problems. The School of Moral Ambition is a practical application of the book's ambitions. The School offers a few programs, including mentoring opportunities, seven month Fellowships across three topic streams in universities and host organisations around the world, a 16-week peer-led Moral Ambition Circle program and an annual conference.

The Civic University Network includes +60 British universities committed to embedding civic aspirations at an institutional level.The drive place-based transformations through policy, practice, and partnerships between universities and community/voluntary sector organisations, public services, local governments, businesses, and other key stakeholders. The National Civic Impact Accelerator (NCIA) is a three-year project documenting impactful civic engagement, providing universities with frameworks and tools to deliver meaningful, measurable, civic strategie and activities.

A network of researchers and educators working towards supporting, promoting and improving the quality of social and citizenship education in Australia.

Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance) are an anti-bias program that publish free resources, including the Teaching Tolerance magazine to almost half a million educators, that approach social issues.

The McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society is committed to bringing ethical reflection to bear on important social issues through research, teaching, and community engagement. Drawing on the established strengths of Stanford’s faculty and students, the Center develops interdisciplinary ethics initiatives that relate to pressing public problems.

Hosted by Matt Abrahams, a lecturer of Strategic Communication at Stanford Graduate School of Business, this podcast features experts in the field to discuss real-world communication challenges.

An initiative of the Lang Center at Swarthmore College, the Engaged Humanities Studio brings together academics, artists, students, activitists, and community members through collaborative projects to address issues using experiential, community-based, and critical-making practices that combine humanitistic modes for inquiry and understanding with extra-humanities disciplines, non-student communities, and/or pressing social issues that would benefit from humanistic perspectives.

The Lang Center provides vision, leadership, and support towards fulfiling Swarthmore College's liberal arts mission by engaging students in issues of civic and social concern, empowering them to make their own contributions to a more just and compassionate world. The Lang Center has a range of programs, including visiting professorships, grant programs that support research, projects and internships, faculty grants, and long-term partnerships with the the local community.

Sydney Story Factory is a not-for-profit creative writing centre for young people in under-resourced communities. They run programs in Sydney and digitally across Australia to build writing skills, confidence and creativity. In doing so, they promote social and emotional wellbeing, as well as agency so that young people see themselves as having a voice worth sharing with the world.

Sydney Writers' Festival brings together a broad and engaged community around the sharing of books, writing and ideas. The Festival hosts Australian and international storytellers, including novelists, poets, journalists, public intellectuals, economists, politicians, podcasters and sicentists.

The Difference Course is a course in five sessions for groups, either online or in-person, to learn about how to cross divides and navigate conflict within groups.

A case study on the introduction of teaching about civil discourse in a Liberal Studies programme and an evaluation of success (2019).

The Society Library is a nonpartisan, nonprofit institution dedicated to improving humanity's relationship to information by offering tools and services that help overcome internal and external biasing forces that corrupt our ability to make informed, inclusive, and free cohices. In addition to this, The Society Library provides critical information literacy education and training for university students and the general public.

The Cultures, Academic Values and Education Research (CAVE) Centre is engaged in research in higher education that ascribes to an understanding of education as a process directed at human flourishing, integrity and truth. Research focus includes higher education policies, connections between policy and practice, educational projects and initiatives, and assessing the impact of higher education on work-life, life decisions, values and attitudes.

Trinity Long Room Hub leads Arts & Humanities research approaches to democracy research. The Hub also hosts a podcast, conferences, and public dialogue events.

Better Conversations is a research group aimed at understanding and better facilitating communication for people with disabilities. It looks at different styles of communication, how differing disabilities may experience these communications and how to improve access to communication.

A whole-university campaign fostering the ability to discuss and debate people who hold different views. The campaign also includes The Bridge podcast, learning resources and skills video series, and public events.

The Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement aims to explore the intersection of expression, engagement and democratic learning and consider what can be done to restore trust in the value of free speech on college campuses and within society at large. They do this through a suite of initiatives including workshops, the SpeechMatters podcast, SpeechMatters Conference, Awards program, Fellowships for research projects/

In 2023, Berkeley launched an eight-month virtual learning program designed to equip students to bridge divides on campus. The Learning Fellowship engages leaders in higher education looking to further constructive dialogue and build understanding across difference, including lines of race, religious faith, politics, or beyond. The fellowship is being offered to 200 leaders from across the University.

The Berkeley Changemaker Program is a co-curricular academic programthat includes over 50 courses, over 32 academic departments, and 80+ faculty members. The program focuses on fostering critical thinking, communication, and collaboration predicated on values of innovation, questioning the status quo, and taking action to contribute to purposeful change.

The Center on Civility & Democratic Engagement conducts research, teaching, fellowships, and public events to promote problem solving for pressing public policy issues by engaging people of diverse perspectives through practices of consensus building, civility, and civil discussions.

UC Davis' Dialogue Across Difference provides training through workshops, courses, and resources for Faculty and public talks. Its' Dynamic Discussions hub provides the UC Davis' community with useful content, resources, and events to foster respectful dialogue at the universtiy.

The Lab researches citizenship, civic governance, youth participation, and democratic urbanisation in the context of sustainability, intergenerational justice, and climate resilient development.

In 2014, the University of Chicago established guidelines aimed at upholding strong, free speech on campus while recognising the importance of diverse viewpoints. These guidelines allow for limitations on speech that breaks the law, is defamatory, poses threats or harassment, violates privacy or confidentiality, or disrupts the operations of a university. Since their inception, 110 other universities in the US have adopted these principles.

The Parrhesia Program is rooted in the University of Chicago Principles of Free Expression and offers an innovative undergraduate curriculum (including research projects), programming of public events, and outreach in free expression and the theory and practice of public discourse.

The Chicago Forum builds on the University’s unique and unmatched historic commitment by providing a convening point for understanding and advancing open discourse in academia and the broader culture. Chicago Forum events and initiatives bring together students, faculty, higher education leaders and educators, and a diverse range of guests who navigate the challenges of free inquiry and expression. The Chicago Forum provides platforms for deeper and broader engagement with big, bold, risky questions in an environment that encourages curious listening, honest reflection, and the openness to expanding, modifying, or even disavowing one’s own views.

The Academic Freedom Institute is designed for both administrators and academics who wish to learn about these issues in greater depth. It combines course with leading thinkers and a set of practical workshops where participants will grapple with concrete scenarios in which to apply the general principles. Teams from participating universities will be tasked with presenting a preliminary self-report on structures for academic freedom at their campus, and to develop a plan for institutional implementation, after the workshop concludes.

OCE stewards the University's commitment to the University by supporting other academic and administrative units to develop and implement their civic priorities, as well as leading areas of strategic work that impact the city of Chicago and South Side.

The Martha C. Nussbaum Student Roundtables were endowed by Professor Nussbaum in 2019 with the intent of bringing together students and faculty with diverse, and often disparate ideological viewpoints in a respecful discussion.

The Humanities Research Institute convenes public, interdisciplinary discussions that centre around linking academia with work that impacts local communities. It develops programs that show the 'humanities in action,' like their project on the land grant mission in Illinois.

Led by Royal Holloway, University of London and funded by Arts & Humanities Research Council, StoryFutures develops cutting-edge research & development technologies to place innovative storytelling at the heart of the next generation of immersive technologies and experiences.

The Being Human is a festival that presents hundreds of free events across the UK and beyond, including at Princeton University's Humanities Council and the University of Melbourne's Faculty of Arts. Being Human celebrates and demonstrates the ways in which the humanities inspire and enrich our everyday lives, help us to understand ourselves, our relationships with others, and the challenges we face in a changing world. Being Human collaborates with experts from universities and other research organisations in collaboration with local community and cultural partners to deliver events and programs.

The Critical Public Conversations series fosters meaningful discussions about the relationship between Indigenous and settler people in Australia. It aims to promote respectful and thoughtful dialogue, addressing both historical and current challenges in the country and providing opportunities for public engagement. Each year features a new theme, with the talks recorded and made publicly accessible.

Managing polarising topics in the classroom is a professional development resource by the Centre for the Study of HIgher Education for faculty educators.

The University of Melbourne's Faculty of Art's Public Humanities Initiative works with some of Melbourne's key public institutions and community organisations, as well as cross-disciplinary and cross-University expertise to deliver three podcasts, public programs, and grants for new student based initiatives.

Civic Stories in an Age of Polarisation:The New Humanity Makers is a series of timely conversations led by Professor Tony Birch in partnership with the Melbourne Public Humanities Initiative.

The PIR offers a blend of taught courses and small-group discussions aimed at improving intergroup understanding. CommonGround, a student-led initiative, explores social identity, prejudice, stereotyping, power, privilege, and oppression through workshops lasting 1.5-3 hours. They use the "Empowering Conversations" method to facilitate intergroup dialogues at the centre.

The Program for Public Discourse engages students, faculty and community via Agora Fellowship, the Abbey Speaker Series, itneractive workshops, and special events to support civil discourse for a strong civic culture and healthy democracy.

Faculty summer seminars sponsored by Duke's Civil Discourse Project, the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation, and UNC Program for Public Discourse to support faculty teaching sensitive topics and effectively promoting civil discourse.

The Institute for Social Concernsis an interdisciplinary community of practice comprised of faculty, students, staff, and community members. We are Notre Dame’s scholarly home for justice united around the normative claim that a just world is a beautiful world. Their Virtues & Vocations annual national forum of scholars and educators are dedicated to cultivating character in pre-professional and professional higher education.

Every year the Office of the Provost identifies a theme that unites the University of Pittsburgh Community. In 2023, and extended to 2025, the Year of Discourse and Dialogue saw the funding of faculty projects and initiatives to promote and foster university based research, training, and dialogue projects.

UQ CTP delivers 3 programs; InQueensland Media Academic, Thinking Schools Network, and WRIT1999: Effective Thinking and Writing to target critical and creative thinking in school and university curricula. Other purposes include improving school performance and academic retention amongst disadvantaged students. META101x: Philosophy and Critical Thinking is also a free online course for complex argument analysis and the development of clear and rigorous thinking.

The Sydney Character Initiative is a community of inquiry and practice in character research, education and leadership for schools, tertiary and residential communities, industry, youth impact organisations, and social enterprises.

Sydney's alumni program randomly pairs graduates from various disciplines to foster diverse connections, potentially leading to mentoring and networking opportunities.

In response to the January 6th insurrection in the US, students initiated a film project aimed at bridging political divides. The documentary included a blend of individual interviews discussing free speech, civility, and cancel culture, followed by recorded conversations between individuals with differing viewpoints.

In collaboration with StoryCorps, the University of Virginia is facilitating discussions between students with differing viewpoints on various topics. These conversations take place during "Dialogue Across Grounds" lunches or through one-on-one campus discussions.

Dialogue Vanderbilt is a combination of an academic fellowship program, a campus Civil Discourse Lab, and a free speech think tank that are designed to embed free expression, civil discourse, and neutrality on campus.

Vrije Universiteit's Centre for Teaching & Learning 'Hot Moments' workshops and resources provide training for teaching faculty who want to navigate 'hot moments' with skill, empathy, and resilience.

Generous Listening is dedicated to fostering a cutlure of generous listening as a fundamental aspect of human interaction by collaborating across academic, civil society, and the private sector through hosting workshops, conferences, support groups, public events, retreats, and symposia.

Weave produces resources and data to analyse the building blocks of social trust (behaviour, intentions and spaces) and a map of aggregated data from around the country on how these are functioning

Western Sydney University established a citizens jury of students in 2022 to make recommendations as part of its Reimagining Student Representation project. The jury made 14 recommendations that the University has responded to.

The What Matters? writing competition for Australian school students in Years 5 to 12 is an initiative that is part writing and part civics and citizenship where students are free to express their views on any matter they care about.

In October 2024, Western Sydney University will host a conference on social cohesion in Australia. The event will gather academics, journalists and nonprofit leaders to discuss challenges to social cohesion in the country and explore how institutions like universities can contribute to enhancing it.

An annual Indigenous-run festival that includes a cultural program as well as a forum to discuss and debate important issues affecting Indigenous people.