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Kategorie: Academic Freedom

This series fosters scholarly and intellectual exchange on questions of academic freedom and freedom of thought in Europe and across the world. It publishes research papers, reports, talks, and thought pieces on academic freedom. The series has been initiated and is curated by former Fellows of the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin. It underlines the commitment of this Institute for Advanced Study to free research, thought, and artistic creation that has been part of its mission ever since its foundation. The program re:constitution – Exchange and Analysis on the Rule of Law in Europe at the Forum Transregionale Studien is also a contributing partner in the series, based on the re:constitution Seminar “Resisting Multiple Pressures – Perspectives on Academic Freedom in Europe” (Ljubljana, 11-12 November 2021). The series welcomes contributions (of up to 7,000 characters); all contributions will be submitted to the editorial team for approval and revision.

Contact: Daniel Schönpflug at daniel.schoenpflug@wiko-berlin.de.

Academic Freedom / MECAM

Academic Freedom in Tunisia: Historical Contexts and Contemporary Challenges

In this conversation, Emna Beltaief, Vice President of the Université de Tunis, speaks with Julius Dihstelhoff, MECAM’s Academic Coordinator, on the state of academic freedom in Tunisia. They explore the historical trajectory from the Bourguiba and Ben Ali regimes to the post-2011 era, discussing the persistent tensions between academic freedom and political pressures.  Emna Beltaïef emphasizes the urgent need to protect academic spaces from political interference to ensure a thriving, critical academic environment.

Academic Freedom / MECAM

Decolonizing Academia at MIASA and MECAM: Academic Freedom and Research Ethics in Dialogue

By Julius Dihstelhoff & Agnes Schneider-Musah. On October 10, 2024, scholars from the Merian Centres for Advanced Studies (MIASA and MECAM) gathered at the Legon Campus of the University of Ghana in Accra for a roundtable on “Academic Freedom and Research Ethics: Dynamics in Ghana, Tunisia, and Germany.” As a contribution to the 2024 German Science Year theme “Freedom,” the event provided a platform for lively discussions on key issues in academic practice. The roundtable explored three primary themes, addressing the challenges and opportunities surrounding academic freedom.

Academic Freedom / re:constitution

“Resisting Multiple Pressures – Perspectives on Academic Freedom in Europe” – Side Note on the re:constitution Seminar

By László Detre. re:constitution is a joint program of the Forum Transregionale Studien and Democracy Reporting International, funded by the Stiftung Mercator. Re:constitution awards fellowships, inspires and organizes topical seminars, and offers fact-based analysis on and around the rule of law and democracy in the European Union.

Academic Freedom / Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin

On the Margins of the University: Academics in the Face of Power in post-2016 Turkey

By Alihan Mestci. Culture is a battle that “has not yet been won” – this has been iterated on numerous occasions by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ever since late 2016, the year of the July 15th coup attempt. The state of emergency has given a legal blank check for thousands of dismissals in the civil service as well as for the criminalization and marginalization of dissenting voices from the media and civil society.

Academic Freedom / Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin

Threats to Academic Freedom — A Comment

By David Armitage. Threats to academic freedom are now proliferating and accelerating in almost every part of the world. What could once be detected and resisted within specific local or national settings now increasingly appears to be part of a global movement to constrain, abridge, or abolish one of humanity’s oldest and most enduring positive freedoms.

Academic Freedom / Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin

Alternative Knowledge Production and Transmission in Turkey: Solidarity Academies (III)

By Noémi Lévy-Aksu. Since the mid-2010s, the authoritarian turn of the Turkish regime has resulted in multiple violations of human rights and freedoms. Universities have been particularly affected by the process, with mass dismissals of academics, repeated attacks on academic freedom and autonomy, and repression of students’ initiatives and protests.

Academic Freedom / Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin

Alternative Knowledge Production and Transmission in Turkey: Solidarity Academies (II)

By Noémi Lévy-Aksu. Since the mid-2010s, the authoritarian turn of the Turkish regime has resulted in multiple violations of human rights and freedoms. Universities have been particularly affected by the process, with mass dismissals of academics, repeated attacks on academic freedom and autonomy, and repression of students’ initiatives and protests.