159. Alessandro Pelizzon
On the collapse & renewal of universities, the education we need, & latest on Rights of Nature
I met up with Dr Alessandro Pelizzon at his place in Byron Bay, for a long-awaited chat on some of the extraordinary work he’s been doing, outside his day job, on the immense value, almost unbelievable collapse, and opportunity for renewal of the public university as one of our oldest and grandest Western institutions. And there’s been a host of global paradigm shifting developments since we last spoke 18 months or so ago, in the domain of his day job (including just days ago with the Pope’s rescinding of the Doctrine of Discovery). Along with his co-founding of a new place of education – offering more of the education we need in these times.
Alessandro at home after our conversation.
“So there’s an opportunity for things that emerge under the shade of these collapsing behemoths. So educational institutes that might not necessarily be traditionally corporate in this way, cooperative universities as they are happening in England, in Spain, in the US, in Argentina. So there are all these models of non-corporate entities that operate as universities delivering the same degrees for a 10th of the price with 10 times the satisfaction for staff, students and the public at large. This is emerging everywhere.”
Dr Alessandro Pelizzon is an Associate Professor in Law at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. He is a co-founder and Executive Committee Member of the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature, the current Director of its International Academic Hub, and an expert member of the UN Harmony with Nature programme. Alessandro has been exploring the emerging discourse on rights of nature, Wild Law and Earth Jurisprudence since its inception. And his book on all this will be published soon, titled Ecological Jurisprudence: Law, Representation and Environmental Metaphysics.
This conversation was recorded at Alessandro’s home just outside of Byron Bay NSW, on 2 April 2023.
Find more:
Alessandro Pelizzon on LinkedIn.
Academics for Public Universities.
Public Universities Australia.
Hear more of Alessandro on the rapid rise of ‘earth laws’ in episode 97, from the Kimberley (and on a panel featuring Michael Leunig, Kate Auty and Nicola Rivers for episode 71).
Upcoming launch of Sustainable Table report on Regenerating Investment in Food & Farming.
Music:
The sounds of the Byron Bay hinterland.