Democracy is under fire. The planet is burning. Geopolitical conflagrations are raging. Threats to higher education are intensifying. Research funding is being torched. On Fire, the IHC’s 2025–26 public events series, will feature scholars from the humanities and its sister fields who are examining these and other flashpoints of our volatile present.
But fire is not only a force of destruction; it is also a medium of purification, a source of illumination, and a metaphor for renewal. To explore these generative possibilities, On Fire will present speakers who are envisioning new social formations and collective practices that can usher in a future of regeneration, possibility, and hope.
The IHC invites suggestions for series topics and speakers. Please contact IHC Director Susan Derwin: derwin@ihc.ucsb.edu.