Source: Getty: Thierry Monasse
When I listen to or read what university leaders say in public, a familiar vocabulary often appears: relevance, employability, innovation, competitiveness, societal needs. There is nothing wrong with these words. That is almost the problem. Everything sounds sensible and difficult to disagree with, yet after a while it can become strangely sterile.
Maybe this reflects how university presidents increasingly act as politicians. To some extent, that is inevitable: they must represent their institutions, build relationships and protect their interests. They deal with governments, employers, funders and regulators. That is political work, and it takes political skill.
But political
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