Restoring Our Vitality: The Heart of the Matter and the Future of the Humanities
February–April 2023
In the wake of a global pandemic, amid festering social and political divisions, and with trust in higher education and other institutions ebbing, how might the humanities meaningfully improve life in twenty-first-century America? What actions must humanists take in research, teaching, and public outreach to create a stronger, more vibrant society?
Restoring Our Vitality is a series of events celebrating the ten-year anniversary of the landmark
Heart of the Matter report and reflecting on the issues it raised about the state of the humanities and social sciences. Presented in partnership with the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences, these events will ponder current challenges facing humanities institutions and practices, considering how we might forge a path forward using the humanities to build more innovative and resilient communities inside the academy and beyond.
After two virtual panel discussions during February and March, this series will culminate on April 4th, when the National Humanities Center will present a virtual panel discussion featuring renowned writer
Amitav Ghosh, NEH Chair
Shelly Lowe, American historian
Nancy MacLean (William H. Chafe Professor of History and Public Policy, Duke University) and NHC President and Director
Robert D. Newman. An evening keynote address from Mr. Ghosh at the James B. Hunt Jr. Library at North Carolina State University will follow.
All sessions are free and open to the public, but
registration is required. We look forward to your participation in these essential conversations.