I am very supportive of these (new) institutes for democracy research and advocacy. I am also very skeptical about how supportive the university administrators will be when the institute gets criticized by (right-wing) politicians and donors.
New Cornell Center on Democracy will support democratic principles at home and abroad | Cornell ChronicleAmid concern about democratic backsliding globally, the center will mobilize scholars to strengthen democracy through rigorous research, democratic education and public engagement.news.cornell.edu