The Floating University: Experience, Empire, and the Politics of Knowledge

The Floating University was a 1926 experiment by New York University professor James E. Lough to take 500 American college students around the globe by ship, aiming to make them better citizens and demonstrate a model for responsible and productive education. The project was branded a failure due to students' antics, and Lough was fired and investigated by the State Department. Pietsch's book explores Lough's grand ambition, its origins, and how it reveals an early-twentieth-century America defined by imperialism and the professionalization of its higher education system. The voyage traced the expanding tentacles of US power, while also demonstrating a contest over what kind of knowledge should underpin university authority. The students brought home a demonstration of their nation's rapidly growing imperial power.

Format: Hardback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 17 May 2023
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press

The Floating University, a remarkable initiative by New York University professor James E. Lough in 1926, aimed to instill global citizenship and showcase a model of responsible and productive education amidst the challenges of the post-World War I era. Lough envisioned taking five hundred American college students on a transformative voyage around the world, believing that this experience would enrich their lives and prepare them for the responsibilities of a globalized world. However, the maiden voyage of the Floating University proved to be its last, as the project was met with controversy and ultimately failed.

The voyage was marred by the antics of students in hotel bars and port city back alleys, which received widespread press coverage. The project was deemed a failure, and Lough was fired from his position at New York University. He even faced investigation by the State Department.

In her book, "The Floating University: An Experiment in Global Education," author Tamson Pietsch delves into the origins and significance of Lough's grand ambition. Pietsch argues that the Floating University, driven by an internationalist worldview, traced the expanding tentacles of US power while also attempting to model a new kind of experiential education. The voyage included stops at nearly fifty international ports, where students had the opportunity to engage with local cultures, meet influential figures, and gain firsthand knowledge of global issues.

Despite its apparent educational failure, the Floating University reveals a much larger contest over what kind of knowledge should underpin university authority. Lough believed that direct personal experience, gained through travel and interaction with diverse cultures, was essential for developing well-rounded individuals capable of contributing to a globalized society. However, academic experts argued that a more rigorous and standardized education was necessary to ensure academic excellence and prepare students for the challenges of the modern world.

The voyage of the Floating University highlights the tension between personal experience and academic expertise, a debate that continues to shape the field of higher education today. Pietsch's book provides a valuable insight into this historical episode, shedding light on the complex interplay between education, imperialism, and the pursuit of knowledge in early-twentieth-century America.

Dimension: 229 x 152 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780226825168