On February 6 and 7, 2024, the James Madison Program hosted Niall Ferguson for its annual Charles E. Test, M.D. '37 Distinguished Lecture Series. This year's two-lecture series was titled "Liberty in a Cold Climate."

Lecture 2: The Constitution of Academic Liberty - February 7, 2024

Recent years have witnessed a steep decline in academic freedom and scholarly standards at U.S. universities. In this lecture, a theory of academic governance is proposed and the example given of a university constitution designed to promote academic freedom and standards in new ways.

On February 6 and 7, 2024, the James Madison Program hosted Niall Ferguson for its annual Charles E. Test, M.D. '37 Distinguished Lecture Series. This year's two-lecture series was titled "Liberty in a Cold Climate."

Lecture 1: The Crisis of Liberal Democracy - February 6, 2024

There is widespread agreement that liberal democracy is in crisis at home and abroad. But what is the nature of that crisis and how will it be resolved? The lecture proposes that the era of numerous liberal democracies may be drawing to a close. Most liberal democracies are unprepared for the challenges of a new cold war against illiberal, undemocratic opponents.

Hear from Founding Trustee Niall Ferguson on why the time to found the University of Austin is now. “Individual freedom is the sine qua non for the pursuit of truth. This is why we won’t fail. This is why we must succeed. A hundred intrepid young people will be in the founding class. We are in the midst of hiring the world-class faculty to teach them, and to teach them to the highest possible pedagogical standard.”

Historian Niall Ferguson has long argued that the world is in a new Cold War. Now he says there are signs of "détente" between the US and China, drawing parallels to the 1970s thaw in the Cold War between the West and the Soviet Union, and how this could play to the West’s advantage. Speaking to DW’s Richard Walker at the 2024 Munich Security Conference, he argues that the Biden administration has made a mess of Middle East policy, and urges Germany to take defense spending more seriously in the light of the threat from Russia well beyond its war against Ukraine.

The author and historian reflects on Henry Kissinger's life. This conversation aired at charlierose.com on December 12, 2023.

In this interview, Ferguson discusses his stunning essay “The Treason of the Intellectuals,” published in December 2023 in the Free Press. The essay delves deeply into the changes Ferguson has observed in his 30-year career as an academic, especially over the past 10 years. He describes in the opening of his essay: “I have . . . witnessed the willingness of trustees, donors, and alumni to tolerate the politicization of American universities by an illiberal coalition of ‘woke’ progressives, adherents of ‘critical race theory,’ and apologists for Islamist extremism.” Ferguson also discusses the resignation of Harvard president Claudine Gay and what it means for all institutions of higher learning, as well as putting forth some solutions for addressing these issues.

On 16 Jan 2024, Victor Pinchuk Foundation hosted the “What if Ukraine Loses?” discussion during the WEF in Davos (Switzerland). The event was held as a part of the Deciding Your Tomorrow project, organized by Victor Pinchuk Foundation and PinchukArtCentre in cooperation with the Office of the President of Ukraine. The panel explored scenarios for the future of Ukraine and its allies in the fight against Russia. Global political leaders, thinkers and activists discuss key aspects of Ukrainians’ defense of life and freedom and it offers a chance to revisit what is at stake in Ukraine.

Niall Ferguson offers his thoughts on the ongoing war in Gaza, the recent history of academic chic antisemitism, and the political fissures currently tearing Western campuses apart.

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson sits down with historian and author Niall Ferguson. They discuss the historical and deeply mythological precedent of world-ending narratives, how the global doomsday ethos abdicates local responsibility while empowering the elite class, the out-of-control gigantism plaguing our administrative states today, and how we might strive to deal with genuine tragedy morally, religiously, and with humility.