Buckley Institute Announces Second Lux et Veritas Faculty Prize

The Buckley Institute is excited to announce this year’s Lux et Veritas Faculty Prize is awarded to John M. Duff, Jr. Professor of Law Amy Chua. This prize recognizes a Yale faculty member who actively fosters intellectual diversity for students in and out of the classroom. An outspoken defender of free speech, Professor Chua has won the admiration of students and alumni through her bold promotion of intellectual diversity and her dedication to teaching excellence. 

Professor Chua has been a faculty member at Yale Law School for the past 22 years. Her expertise is in international business transactions, law and development, ethnic conflict, and globalization and the law. We received nominations from all around the university, from current students to alumni, who detailed the positive impact Professor Chua had on their time at Yale. “Amy Chua is one of the only faculty members at the law school who is openly critical of the ideological monoculture that exists there,” commented one student. “She doesn’t just support ideological diversity in some abstract sense in the classroom, but goes out of her way to help the students who hold those views feel less alienated. She paid a price for holding these views but hasn’t backed down in the face of it.”

Others praised her for taking concrete steps in the classroom to create an environment conducive to sharing diverse views. “She solicits student responses in her class […] and calls on conservative students to share their opinions on a regular basis,” they explained. “She makes sure that ideological minorities feel comfortable and gives a lot of support behind the scenes.”

This combination of public courage and private support makes the classroom environment Professor Chua cultivates unique. “[She] manages the class well so that students can share their views comfortably without fear of backlash from others,” expressed another student. “In fact, she does this in a way that generates positive energy rather than defensiveness.”

In recognition of her outstanding efforts, the Buckley Institute will present Professor Chua with the prize of $10,000 at a celebratory event on October 26, 2023 featuring a conversation with Professor Chua. A reception will follow.

The Buckley Institute is proud to celebrate the cultivation of intellectual diversity and serious inquiry in the classroom. It is through taking diverse points of view seriously, engaging in disagreements and discussions in good-faith, and inculcating a spirit of intellectual humility that the true mission of the university is realized. Amy Chua has demonstrated these ideals inside and outside of her classroom. The Buckley Institute is delighted to award the 2023 Lux et Veritas Faculty Prize to Amy Chua.

Learn More about the Lux et Veritas Faculty Prize and watch the lecture from last year’s winner!