Academic Freedom
Academic freedom: the freedom to research, teach and speak without punishment by governments, donors or one's own institution. This page follows it in the United States and around the world, and asks what it means for the study of AI.
FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg and the V-Dem Institute · 2026-03-17
The 2026 update links institutional autonomy to the individual freedom of researchers and shows a steep fall in university autonomy in the United States compared with peer democracies.
Scholars at Risk Network · 2025-10-01
395 attacks on scholars, students and institutions documented from July 2024 to June 2025, across the world; attacks threatening physical safety nearly doubled. The yearly barometer since 2015.
FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg and the V-Dem Institute · 2025-03-13
179 countries scored 0 to 1 on five dimensions by more than 2,300 scholars. Eight countries improved, 34 declined, including democracies: Argentina, Finland, Greece, Israel, Portugal and the United States.
Global Observatory on Academic Freedom
Central European University, Vienna · 2021-01-01
A research centre on academic freedom worldwide, at the university that Hungary's government forced out of Budapest in 2018 — itself a case.
Rome Ministerial Communiqué, Annex I: Statement on Academic Freedom (2020)
European Higher Education Area ministers · 2020-11-19
The 49 EHEA ministers' shared definition of academic freedom, adopted at the Rome conference: freedom to research, teach, learn, express and disseminate, with institutional autonomy as its condition.
Bonn Declaration on Freedom of Scientific Research (2020)
Ministers of the European Research Area · 2020-10-20
European research ministers' commitment to the freedom of scientific research as a value of the European Research Area, adopted at the Bonn ministerial conference.
Central European University forced out of Hungary (2017–2019)
Reporting and CEU statements · 2018-12-03
The 'Lex CEU' of 2017 and the university's move of its US-accredited programmes to Vienna in 2019; the EU Court of Justice ruled against Hungary in 2020.
Academics for Peace (Barış İçin Akademisyenler), Turkey — the 2016 petition and the trials that followed
Academics for Peace · 2016-01-11
More than 2,000 academics signed 'We will not be a party to this crime'; hundreds were dismissed by decree, tried, or imprisoned. Turkey's Constitutional Court ruled in 2019 that the signatures were protected speech.
Council of Europe Recommendation 1762 (2006): Academic freedom and university autonomy
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe · 2006-06-30
The Assembly's call on member states to guarantee academic freedom and autonomy in law, after cases across Europe.
Amman Declaration on Academic Freedom and the Independence of Institutions of Higher Education and Scientific Research (2004)
Arab regional conference, Amman · 2004-12-05
The Arab region's declaration on academic freedom and the independence of universities and research institutions.
UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel (1997)
UNESCO General Conference · 1997-11-11
The one global standard adopted by governments: academic freedom, tenure, institutional autonomy and collegial governance, with a reporting mechanism to UNESCO and the ILO.
Kampala Declaration on Intellectual Freedom and Social Responsibility (1990)
African intellectuals, Kampala · 1990-11-29
African scholars' own declaration: the freedom of intellectuals across the continent and their responsibility to their societies, adopted in Kampala.
Dar es Salaam Declaration on Academic Freedom and Social Responsibility of Academics (1990)
Staff of the University of Dar es Salaam · 1990-04-19
Tanzanian academics' declaration, drafted by university staff themselves, on academic freedom and the university's duty to society.
Magna Charta Universitatum (1988) — the founding European declaration on university autonomy and academic freedom
Magna Charta Observatory, Bologna · 1988-09-18
Signed by rectors of 388 universities on the 900th anniversary of the University of Bologna: research and teaching must be free of political and economic power. Renewed in 2020 as MCU 2020.
Lima Declaration on Academic Freedom and Autonomy of Institutions of Higher Education (1988)
World University Service · 1988-09-10
The first international declaration to define academic freedom as a human right, adopted by the World University Service general assembly in Lima.
Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA) — placing scholars in danger since 1933
CARA, London · 1933-05-22
Founded in 1933 to rescue academics from Nazi Germany; today places scholars from Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Sudan and elsewhere at UK universities.
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