What can universities do to protect academic freedom?

How to foster and protect freedom of thought, enquiry and expression in higher education

Illustration of torch representing academic freedom for spotlight

The freedom to teach, research and express ideas without censorship or unreasonable interference is a central tenet of the modern university. As pillars of democracy, higher education institutions should aim to embed this idea into all their activities, from how they are run to what their students read. But academic freedom is under threat from politicisation, polarisation and policing of certain views, forcing universities and colleges to reassert their commitment to this guiding principle. Here, academics from around the world explore how to keep the flame of free thought and enquiry alight in the classroom, in research and beyond.

Engaging in controversial topics in teaching and research

Sensitive subjects such as trolling and sexual assault require a careful approach at all points – from examining your motivation before you begin and setting up support to sharing findings, writes Ekant Veer

Ekant Veer

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury

Freedom of research and enquiry

Lightbulb moment

Universities and academics need to make space for ‘useless’ research

The academic race for short-term results and practical applications must be balanced with research that can, in due time, become incredibly useful, writes James Derounian

James Derounian

De Montfort University

Steps towards open research in higher ed

Open research is a tough nut to crack. Here’s how we can get started

Investment, training and incentives are required if the sector is going to rise to the challenge of truly embracing open research

Marcus Munafò, Neil Jacobs

University of Bristol, UK Reproducibility Network (UKRN)

Horse-racing

Being a public scientist is not an easy choice

When scholars know their data well and can see their findings being ignored, they should be comfortable enough to speak out. Here, Paul McGreevy offers advice to those contemplating putting their heads above the parapet

Paul McGreevy

University of New England

University teacher

Teaching students to think for themselves is not enough

The critical thinking ideal is too individualistic and self-focused − students must learn to help others think well, too, says T. Ryan Byerly

T. Ryan Byerly

University of Sheffield

Helping students make sense of global politics through class debates

How to guide students to develop and take part in class debates to deepen their understanding of course content

Adrian Man-Ho Lam

The University of Hong Kong

How to maximise freedom of enquiry in the classroom

Managing conflicting perspectives of international students when teaching online

Negotiating the minefield of global online teaching: dealing with difference  

Farish A. Noor offers advice on managing the conflicting viewpoints of students living and studying in different countries and cultural contexts when teaching international groups online

Farish A. Noor  

Nanyang Technological University

Diverse group of students in discussion

Four steps to robust and respectful classroom discussion

This video offers a four-part approach that gives space for students to speak up eagerly in classroom debates and shows them how to disagree well. Brian Ray, director of the Poe Business Ethics Center at the University of Florida, explains how to put it into practice

Brian Ray

University of Florida

Considerations for safely teaching remote students studying in countries with strict press controls

Safely teaching foreign students facing censorship

Foreign students studying online in their home countries may be subject to strict press controls, so educators must carefully consider their course content and discussion points, Pavin Chachavalpongpun explains

Pavin Chachavalpongpun

Kyoto University

robot hand tipping a chess piece

Universities, AI and the common good

Higher education must find paths for meaningful engagement with artificial intelligence, to leverage its potential, explain the problems and mitigate the hazards, writes Rajani Naidoo

Rajani Naidoo

University of Bath

Five ways universities can protect faculty from online harassment

With more online engagement and interaction have come increased threats and attacks against faculty, staff and students. Here are measures institutions can take to raise awareness and provide support

Alexis Martinez

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

Advice to faculty on protecting academic freedom

The DIY guide to academic freedom

A DIY guide to protecting academic freedom

A guide to help faculty manage and respond to threats to their academic freedom, from understanding the source of the challenges to finding allies and resources that can assist

Pedro García-Caro, Katy Krieger, Joe Lowndes, Gabe Paquette

University of Oregon

Hand holding megaphone to signify academic freedom

Academics must resist the creeping degradation of academic freedom

Unless an academic is exceptionally bloody-minded, they will eventually take the path of least resistance, which is subtle erosion in action, says Arif Ahmed

Arif Ahmed

University of Cambridge

Group of protesters illustrating article about vaccine hesitancy, difficult conversations, empathy, listening

How to disagree about Covid vaccination and manage other difficult university staff discussions

Jonathan Lord outlines the role of empathy and listening skills in navigating potential conflict when colleagues disagree about sensitive issues such as vaccination

Jonathan Lord

University of Salford

Power of the pen

Voting counts: how to get more students to the ballot box

Young people are less likely to vote than any other age group, so what can institutions do to engage students with the most fundamental of democratic processes? Rebecca Deegan shares some lessons

Rebecca Deegan

I Have A Voice

How universities can embed democratic principles and practices into the student experience

Higher education is a critical pillar of a functional democracy and there are things that colleges and universities can do today to actively foster democratic practices, as Meg Little Reilly explains

Meg Little Reilly

University of Vermont

Upholding pluralism and freedom of speech

Educational gag orders threaten the very fabric of US higher education

Educational gag orders could destroy the structure of higher education

Universities and programmes could lose their accreditation and students could lose their financial aid if governors continue signing these legislative restrictions

Jeremy C. Young

PEN America

Universities need to promote pluralism and thinking across the divide in order to strengthen democracy

Universities must promote pluralism to ward off threats to democracy

Once the moral basis of anyone who disagrees with us is rejected, then democracy inevitably implodes, says Matthew Flinders

Matthew Flinders

University of Sheffield

Propaganda and disinformation are rife on social media and beyond, and in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, universities need to play their part in countering it

Fake news and disinformation abounds, but what can universities do?

Few universities offer courses on countering propaganda, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine brings this weakness of provision into sharp relief, says Paul Baines

Paul Baines

University of Leicester

Scissors clipping speech bubble

A higher education playbook for strengthening democracy: what institutions can do

Five ways universities can engage in supporting democracy in their home nations and throughout the world, presented by William Tierney

William Tierney

University of Southern California

Respectful provocation: the university skill for our times?

Challenging students about their assumptions and values makes them better equipped to engage with the challenges of living in a diverse society, writes Mathew Guest

Mathew Guest

Durham University

Inclusion of thought

Freedom of thought

Inclusion of thought v inclusion of feelings: a showdown

In the pursuit of inclusivity, should we adjust what we teach to include students’ sensitivities or expose them to the full range of serious ideas? asks Arif Ahmed

Arif Ahmed

University of Cambridge

Socrates' methods can still help university student in the battle with misinformation

How Socrates can help your students question information

In a world full of answers, we must take time to ask questions, and the approaches favoured by Socrates can still be useful today, explains Konstantinos Arfanis

Konstantinos Arfanis

Arden University

Group of people disagreeing

Managing excluding behaviour and bigotry in the classroom

A reflective tool to help university teachers manage inappropriate or offensive behaviour in the classroom, presented by Donna Hurford and Valeria Borsotti

Donna Hurford, Valeria Borsotti

University of Southern Denmark, University of Copenhagen