Open University

The New Republic has introduced a new blog, Open University, that brings together a powerhouse list of academics with public profiles to comment both on contemporary events and on issues in the academy. TNR has always provided one of the most important bridges between academia and the broader intellectual life of the polity, and Open University should continue this relationship.

Open University explains its mission statement thusly:

To the best of our knowledge, this blog is unlike any other out there. It's dedicated to thinking about not just the news of the day but also the news from the academy: Controversies in campus politics that warrant thoughtful discussion. Scholarship from our various disciplines that we think deserves a broader hearing. Ideas we had in doing our research that seem eerily relevant to something we read in The New York Times today. Our bloggers range widely over the political spectrum. They include both novices and old hands . . .

TNR's newest blog should be a welcome addition to online commentary and will hopefully provide a model of public intellectualism.