The University of Winchester in southern England has spent £ 24,000 (about £ 10 million) to build a life-size bronze statue of Greta Thunberg on campus – the foundation says it is the world’s first work of its kind by a Swedish activist. Criticism of the university surged after the statue was unveiled.
Megan Paul The student council president told the BBC:
Greta Thunberg may be a role model for many of those who talk about things important to all of humanity, but let’s not forget that the Coronavirus epidemic is spreading all over the world. Many cannot get on campus and will need help with education online. We ask the university administration to spend an amount equal to the statue’s value to support students.
The Consortium of Universities and Colleges (UCU) called the statue a “vanity project,” and, like the student government, drew the University of Winchester’s attention to the fact that this amount should have been spent more on helping students.
Vice President of the University of Winchester, Joy Carter He told the BBC that none of the money spent on student support and staff salaries for the statue had been deducted.
A young Greta became, despite the difficulties, the world’s leading environmental activist. As a university working for sustainability and equality, we are proud of our ability to recognize our work in this format. We know that many people consider him divisive. As a university, we are happy to participate in substantive discussions and critical discussions. We hope the statue will be an inspiration to our community and we remind everyone that whatever happens, we are capable of positive change.
Statue Report the Difference! He was awarded the title by Christine Charlesworth as its creator.
(Cover photo: Greta Thunberg statue at the University of Winchester.Photo: Feinbar-Webster)
