Republic University Amarr Research Grant Under Scrutiny | EVE Online

Republic University Amarr Research Grant Under Scrutiny

2009-10-27 - By Svarthol

Hulm - Senior faculty members at Republic University have asked the school's Board of Trustees to reconsider a grant awarded to Velys Gorra, an associate professor of history and anthropology. The request, signed by over 100 faculty members, raises objections to Gorra's work, which deals with the influence of the Amarr on Minmatar culture, and other controversial papers from her academic career.

Prof. Lillaka Uithmil, the organizer of the protest, views the research grant as particularly insensitive to the true needs of the Republic. "For a public university, our job is to pursue research that is in the public interest," she said. "Prof. Gorra is a known supporter of pro-Amarr studies in public education. This is not something that needs to be funded at this sensitive time for our Republic."

Prof. Gorra defended her work, saying that she is not "pro-Amarr" as her detractors claim. "My research is conducted in order to uncover facts, not push an agenda. I have never argued for a 'pro-Amarr' curriculum, merely one that acknowledges such a big part of our history. Ignoring our past will not make it go away."

The Board of Trustees has so far declined to comment.