Viewpoint: What can Europe and its universities do to halt the erosion of academic freedom?

Much has been said and written about the global decline of academic freedom in recent years. But the warning bells have now turned into emergency sirens.

If the threat is not particularly new, why are more and more university representatives and academic freedom experts warning about mounting pressures? Crucially, many highlight that the dangers facing academic life are being amplified by the extreme polarisation and challenges to democracy to which societies and politics in many countries around the world are increasingly exposed.

Threats on both sides of the Atlantic

Recent events in the US have brought academic freedom into sharp focus and mainstream debate. The Trump administration’s measures targeting higher education institutions, as well as research institutes and the wider sector, are having a chilling effect. The real and symbolic impact of this onslaught on the world’s strongest research and innovation system can hardly be overstated. 

From Europe, we see how in the US cuts and freezes in research funding, suspended scholarships, cancelled visas and disruptions to essential data flows are negatively impacting cooperation between universities on both sides of the Atlantic. And in light of the continued success of populist parties in a number of European countries, academics’ concerns about whether a similar playbook might be used here do not seem so far-fetched.

Indeed, European countries already have their own homegrown pressures on academic freedom, as reported in the European Parliament’s Academic Freedom Monitor. For example, gender studies programmes have more than once found themselves on the receiving end of direct government pressure. In Hungary, they are being entirely stripped of their accreditation. And for much of the past year, intense pressure has been exerted on universities, staff and students in Serbia, following widespread anti-government protests. 

Clearly, threats to academic freedom come in many different guises. In Europe, infringements are often subtle and insidious, though this makes them no less harmful to higher education, research and science. They may take the form of excessive regulation, top-down funding instruments or the stifling of unpopular views on campus. Moreover, these pressures are often linked to dynamics affecting university autonomy, i.e. institutions’ ability to decide on their own internal affairs. While academic freedom and university autonomy are not one and the same, they are close relatives, and when one of these key prerequisites for thriving academia is in trouble, it is rarely a good sign for the other.

From concern to action

On a positive note, many European policymakers and other actors are now taking the bull by the horns. Notably, the European Parliament adopted a resolution in January 2024 in which it called on the European Commission to take legislative action to protect the freedom of scientific research in the EU. 

Will this help? Legal and regulatory frameworks can play a key role in shielding academic freedom, though a well-considered and coherent approach based on multi-stakeholder consultation is essential. Nevertheless, it also bears restating that threats to academic freedom often emanate from political actors themselves, as we have witnessed over the past months.

Universities operate in a range of contexts. Ideally, they enjoy stable and secure frameworks and regulations provided by political systems where the rule of law, basic human liberties and democratic processes are respected. But often, they do not. So what can universities themselves do to strengthen academic freedom in an increasingly fractious world? 

The answer is, actually quite a lot. Universities are on the frontline of academic freedom and have a key role to play in protecting and promoting it. This is why the European University Association recently published a set of principles and guidelines for our members across Europe.

Academic freedom starts on campus

Universities can and must do a great deal. 

First of all, each university should foster a shared understanding of academic freedom by developing relevant guidelines and policies. They should also do their utmost to shield the institution as a whole from undue interference and protect all members of the campus community from pressures and intimidation, all the while seeking a constructive dialogue with external actors. Finally, they should strive to sustain academic self-governance and work towards a diverse funding base to avoid over-dependence on a single source of income. 

But academic freedom cannot just come from the top down. All members of our university communities, including students and staff in widely differing roles, should adhere to strict standards of integrity, quality and responsibility. Each of us can play a part in raising awareness about why academic freedom matters, by encouraging open and rigorous debate on complex topics and highlighting why academic freedom underpins everything that universities contribute to our societies. 

This is a lot to ask. So, EUA has also proposed a practical toolbox of measures to achieve these goals, aimed at the entire university community, from the leadership to the student body.

This toolbox includes pragmatic and actionable solutions that each university can put in place. For example, they can develop their own codes of conduct, make sure that a dedicated body or member of the leadership team focuses on academic freedom, run regular training sessions for students and staff, include academic freedom in curricula and teacher training and organise seminars involving communities from within and outside of the university. Implementing measures like these will help guarantee that academic freedom is a daily, lived reality at European universities and, ultimately, make them stronger in the face of external pressure.

A right and a responsibility 

Universities can do a lot, but they cannot do it alone. A stable and secure legal and political framework is paramount to academic freedom. But universities also need society’s trust and, resulting from this, solidarity. Instead, day-in day-out we hear about the weaponisation of science and growing public mistrust in academia. 

Faced with this reality, the university sector also has to ask itself some tough questions. Have we been good enough at making a public case for academic freedom? 

We must bear in mind that academic freedom is not a mere professional privilege, but a right and responsibility. Indeed, it is the lifeblood of any meaningful scientific endeavour and a fundamental principle that sustains universities’ countless contributions to societal advancement. 

This should not be too hard a sell. Universities and their communities need academic freedom to help solve public health crises, like COVID-19 or cancer. They need it to develop solutions that mitigate the effects of climate change. They need it to speak (often uncomfortable) truths to politicians. In short, they need it to meet their responsibility to society. In short, academic freedom is fundamental to everything that universities do, and we all have a stake in making sure that anyone who steps into a European university can freely learn, teach and research.

Monika Steinel is deputy secretary general at the European University Association.