The Research Problem
Academic freedom (AF) is considered a fundamental academic value and is reflected in SDG4, which mentions access to free and quality education as a sustainable development goal. Against this backdrop, there is a controversial debate in the current higher education discourse as to whether academic institutions should not only be granted AF but should also take on academic responsibility (AR) by aligning their research and actions with the goal of sustainable development and global problems such as inequality, climate change and health crises.
But the relationship between AF and AR can be understood as tense: AF allows academics to conduct innovative research without external pressures and to express ideas without censorship, but this freedom can clash with growing expectations on universities to fulfill their role as socially responsible institutions. Focusing on research that contributes to the common good can divert resources away from basic research and can be politically instrumentalized by those in power for destructive ends. This raises the question of the limits of AF in the context of social responsibility and vice versa. Balancing this dynamic is crucial for universities to maintain their integrity while fulfilling their role as a catalyst for positive change.
Research Design
Our project aims to take a closer look at the tensions between Academic Freedom and Responsibility by analyzing different regional conceptions on AF. In recent decades a large number of frameworks have been drawn up at all different levels by both political and academic institutions. These frameworks explicitly and implicitly involve a specific understanding of AF and AR for a particular context. So far, previous research has only looked at the explanations in isolation, and a comparison is still a desideratum. In our project we are concentrating on the regional level.
Through a qualitative comparative analysis of regional frameworks of reference on AF, the project will explore how different regions define their conception of AF and AR and what possible implications this has for the role of academia in promoting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Within the year, the team members will analyse 1-3 frameworks each, so that at least 4-5 frameworks can be compared with each other in the end. This approach implies, that concepts of AF and AR of the Global South that have often been neglected in global discourse become more visible.
The research project pursues two sets of questions:
- How is AF and AR related in different regional frameworks? What differences and similarities emerge?
- What implications do these conceptualizations and their comparison have with regard to potential role attributions and responsibilities of academia for the promotion of the SDGs?
Project Objectives
With the WUN a specific composition of the research team is provided, which enables a systematic comparison of frameworks of the following regions: Sub-Saharan Africa, South-East Asia, Latin America, Europe/EU and the USA. The research results will be published in an international journal and will be presented at an self organized international hybrid conference at the RUB in 2026 (supported by the WUN) and the Scholars at Risk Global Congress. Furthermore, the project aims to continue building a global research network with specific follow-up projects.
