Academic freedom and the shifting geopolitics of HE and research

Hosted by the Centre for Higher Education Transformations (CHET)

Speaker: Dr. Katja Brøgger (Associate Professor, Aarhus University)

The post-Cold War era spurred an extensive internationalization and cross-border cooperation in higher education and research in Europe and beyond. In Europe, the launch of the European Higher Education Area in 1999 and the European Research Area in 2000, enabled knowledge (and workforce) to move freely across borders.

Meanwhile, the 2016 U.S. elections, the Brexit referendum, and various crises in the EU have since fueled growing backlashes against globalization, leading to a shift in the geopolitics of higher education and research. This changing landscape has been marked by the rise of illiberal ideologies, nationalism, populism, territorial conflicts, and an increased focus on security politics. This destabilization has led to a growing willingness among politicians and governments to intervene in the autonomy of universities and researchers. As a result, the past decade has seen a decline in academic freedom across countries with diverse political and democratic systems.

This presentation examines this new era marked by a re-politicization of higher education and research. It provides a conceptualization and diagnosis of current conditions and pressures on academic freedom in Europe, building on the notion of academic freedom as a professional freedom. The presentation includes EU and national policies and interventions and examines how pressures on academic freedom currently manifest within two different domains. One domain characterized by political controversies around free speech and anti-woke agendas, a second domain characterized by security politics. 

Host or Publisher School of Education, University of Bristol