The Academic Freedom Series: Facing Challenges and Reassuring Core Values of Universities

Academic freedom is under threat around the world, including Europe. Rising trends in illiberalism and authoritarianism threaten universities as institutions of open societies. Their autonomy as a condition to uphold academic freedom in teaching and research is weakened as a result of political, financial, and social pressures. How can universities resist these challenges? This requires to advance our understanding of academic freedom, and the trends and mechanisms that put it at risk. The Institutions for Open Societies (IOS) Platform Openness Challenged: University at Risk?  launches a series of dialogues to tackle these burning questions.

Dialogue 8:  Outlining a European Agenda for Academic Freedom and Institutional Autonomy

17 December 2025, Utrecht University 15:30-17:00

At present, the debate on the need for protection is prominent on the agenda at different levels (e.g. European and national) and in different places (e.g. politics and academia). Nevertheless, regardless of the level at which the debate is taking place, one thing is certain: legal protection against threats to academic freedom and institutional autonomy seems insufficient so far. The question up for discussion remains: How can academic freedom and institutional autonomy be better protected? 

This mini seminar is convened by Professor Marijk van der Wende (Utrecht University). During the event, the current situation on various European fronts will be discussed by:

• Professor Peter Maassen (University of Oslo) will discuss the European Parliament’s Academic Freedom Monitor for which he is coordinating the annual studies; and the activities of the Council of Europe’s working group on academic freedom in action, for which he has produced a report on the state of academic freedom in Europe.
• Professor Bjorn Stensaker (University of Oslo) is a leading expert in the field of institutional autonomy. He will outline the trends he observes in Europe and what this could mean for universities and researchers.
• Jurgen Rienks (Neth-ER & Utrecht University) will tell us more about his ongoing PhD research into improving the legal protection of academic freedom and institutional autonomy in the European Union. He will also discuss the situation in the Netherlands.
• Professor Sybe de Vries (Utrecht University) is discussant for the event providing feedback and commentary to the various contributions. 

Registration: Please register to confirm your attendance using this link https://forms.uu.nl/universiteitutrecht-rebo/seminar-academic-freedom

Dialogue 7: The frontal attack of Trump on US Universities

27 August 2025, Utrecht University

The final dialogue in this series reprises on the first session which ended with the question how academic freedom can be defined and protected. Building on this perspective, we will focus on how academic freedom can best be protected in the Europe. What to expect from the EU as an internal regulator and global actor? What from national governments, state actors, and universities themselves? What is a suitable legal basis to this end and how can we ultimately uphold the values of openness and freedom as European universities engage with partners globally? We will be discussing developments like neo-nationalism, autocracy, and illiberal democracies; trends that endanger academic freedom and institutional autonomy of universities in various parts of the world, including Europe and now also the USA.

Speakers: Dr. John A. Douglass, UC Berkeley
Convenor: Prof. Marijk van der Wende (Utrecht University).

Dialogue 6: Academic Freedom & Social Media: Friend or Foe?

6 June 2024, Utrecht University

The second dialogue examines the role of social media in relation to academic freedom as a democratic value and right. Universities as core institutions of open societies wish to engage with society. Social media play a growing role in communicating research results to society at large. How can and should social media be used by academics? What are the boundaries and where do academic freedom and freedom of expression interfere? Social media is often described as the most dependence creating phenomenon in the (post-)modern society. How does this relate to the notion of freedom generally and to academic freedom in particular? Are they friends or foes?

Speakers: Prof. dr. Jose van Dijck (Utrecht University), Dr. Catalina Goanta (Utrecht University).
Convenor: Prof. Marijk van der Wende (Utrecht University).

Dialogue 5: Defining, monitoring and protecting Academic Freedom: the Netherlands in European perspective

27 February 2024, Utrecht University 12.30-15.00            

In this opening dialogue of the series, we will dive into ongoing research on academic freedom.  How is it understood and defined throughout Europe? How well is it protected and what is changing in this respect? Various studies on the situation in Europe will be presented as a context for a country study on academic freedom in the Netherlands. The session will examine how to monitor trends and issues related to academic freedom, in order to ultimately reflect on the question how academic freedom can be defined and legally protected at the national and European levels. New research that will be undertaken by the Platform will be announced.

Speakers: Prof. Peter Maassen (Oslo University), Dr. Vasiliki Kosta (Leiden University), Dr. Lavinia Kortese (Utrecht University), Mr. Jurgen Rienks LLM (Ne-ther).
Convenor: Prof. Marijk van der Wende (Utrecht University). 

Dialogue 4: the Open Society and its discontents

8 June 2023, Utrecht University 

Openness is a necessary condition for universities to compete and collaborate internationally, to contribute to an open society, to global challenges, and the public good. However, openness cannot any longer be taken for granted in the changing global context. With Prof. Liviu Matei (King’s College London), Prof. Mark Bovens (UU) and Prof. Sybe de Vries (UU). Convenor : Prof. Marijk van der Wende.
Liviu Matei's new book: Open Society Unresolved The Contemporary Relevance of a Contested Idea (CEU Press, 2023)
Mark Bovens' publication :IoS Think Paper The Open Society and its Future (2020)
The recording of the session can be found here.

Dialogue 3: Current threats viewed from 200 years of University History

12 December 2022, Utrecht University 

How can universities face the challenges to their autonomy and academic freedom and stand firm to defend the values of an open society, system and global cooperation? What can be learned from the past; were universities (always) on the right side of history? With William Kirby (Harvard University), Paul Ziche (Utrecht University), Zheping Xie (Tsinghua University). Convenor: Marijk van der Wende.
William Kirby’s new book: Empires of Ideas. Creating the Modern University from Germany to America to China.

Dialogue 2: Protecting Academic Freedom in the EU - a Legal perspective

20 November 2022, Utrecht University 

What role and responsibilities do institutions at various levels of governance in the EU have in protecting academic freedom and how are these divided and coordinated?  What are the relevant legal competences of the EU and those of the Member States? Is the EU sufficiently equipped to protect the university, its institutional autonomy, and in particular academic freedom as enshrined in the CFREU (art 13)? What are implications for universities; what is at stake for society?  With Kurt Deketelaere (KULeuven & LERU), Sascha Garben (College d’Europe), Discussant: Lavinia Kortese (UU). Convenor: Marijk van der Wende.

You can find the slides of the presentations here.

Dialogue 1: The role of Universities in Promoting Democracy

29 September 2022, Utrecht University 

Dr. John Douglass (UC Berkeley) made a presentation based on his recent book: Neo-Nationalism and Universities: Populists, Autocrats and the Future of Higher Education. John’s Hopkins University Press, 2021 (open access). Discussant: Prof. dr. James Kennedy (UU).
You can find the slides of the presentation here.