Dr. Jonathan Adam Becker

Jonathan Becker is the Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Bard College, where he is also a Professor of Politics and Director of the Center for Civic Engagement. He also serves as the Vice Chancellor of the Global Higher Education Network for the 21st Century and oversees Bard’s global partnerships, including its degree-granting programs with the American University of Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan), Al-Quds University (Palestine), and Bard College Berlin, as well as Bard’s programs with institutions in exile, including the American University of Afghanistan, Parami University (Myanmar), and Smolny Beyond Borders (Russia).

He has written extensively on liberal education, civic engagement, and media and politics. Recent publications include: Jonathan Becker and Zarlasht Sarmast, “Civic Engagement and Displaced Students,” Internationalisation of Higher Education, Volume 12, September 2025, no. 2; “Deeds, Not Words: The push for university neutrality harms education and society,” Liberal Education, May 2024; and “The Global Liberal Arts Challenge,” Ethics and International Affairs, Fall 2022.

He holds a BA from McGill University and a D.Phil. from the University of Oxford.