Information & resources on academic freedom
Scholars at Risk (SAR)
- ‘Free To Think’ Reports: Free to Think is SAR’s annual report that explore concerning trends in attacks on higher education communities around the world with the aims of raising awareness and urging diverse state and non-state stakeholders to join us in protecting and promoting academic freedom.
- Scholars at Risk Academic Freedom Monitoring project: SAR’s Academic Freedom Monitoring Project focuses on developing a greater understanding of the volume and nature of attacks on higher education communities in order to develop more effective protection responses.
- MOOC on Academic Freedom: Produced as part of the EU-funded Academic Refuge project, the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on academic freedom and higher education values, is hosted on the Future Learn platform. It is a 3 week, free course which allows the participant to explore why academic freedom is crucial for maintaining the quality and relevance of research in higher education as well as understanding some of the current threats to academic freedom, and how this relates to the academic community worldwide.
Defining Academic Freedom
- 1997 UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel (Section VI(A))
- 2020 Report on academic freedom and the freedom of opinion and expression, by UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
European Research Area
- Bonn Declaration on Freedom of Scientific Research (2020)
- Supported by the 2021 Opinion of the Strategic Forum for International S&T Cooperation (SFIC) on its implementation in international cooperation in research and innovation.
The Council of Europe
- Committee of Ministers Reply to Recommendation, “Threats to academic freedom and autonomy of higher education institutions in Europe.” (Doc 15312, June 2021)
- PACE Resolution 2352 (2020) “Threats to academic freedom and autonomy of higher education institutions in Europe.”
- PACE Recommendation 2189 (2020), “Threats to academic freedom and autonomy of higher education institutions in Europe.”
- Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media Report “Threats to academic freedom and autonomy of higher education institutions in Europe” (2020)(Doc. 15167)
- The Declaration of the Global Forum on academic freedom, institutional autonomy and the future of democracy, (June 2019).
European Higher Education Area (EHEA)
Additional Organisations & Publications
- Academic Freedom Index Project, Global Public Policy Institute
- Observatory Magna Charta Universitatum
- The Global Observatory on Academic Freedom, a project supported by the Open Society University Network (OSUN).
- Academic Freedom and Internationalisation Working Group (formed in the context of the internationalisation of UK Higher Education)
Monitoring Academic Freedom
Online Panel Discussions
To view the panel discussion ‘More important than ever: Academic freedom for quality research and innovation’, Inspireurope Stakeholder Forum, June 8th 2020, please click below: