Edinburgh Napier University

  I argue for the need to maintain democratic and egalitarian principles of access to higher education in the face of the many challenges of the present day. I think about this in terms of both the broadening of literary canons and the development of institutions, tracing these issues back to the historical moment of my research expertise, in the early to mid twentieth century, drawing on thinkers including Rabindranath Tagore and Raymond Williams. I then talk about how I engage with some of these issues in my own research. I conclude by offering some closing thoughts about sustainability and the future of higher education in terms of politics, finance, and the environment.