Academic Freedom Index: ‘serious concern’ for US universities

Countries with parties in power that are opposed to democratic processes and support for minorities have lower levels of academic freedom than those where anti-pluralist parties have little or no political influence, according to new research.

The latest edition of the Academic Freedom Index, an annual benchmarking report compiled by researchers at Germany’s University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, indicates that academic freedom has declined in countries including India, the US and the UK over the past decade. 

By combining the AFI with data from the Anti-Pluralism Index, researchers found high levels of academic freedom often go “hand in hand” with the absence of strong anti-pluralism in the party system.

In opposition, the impact of these parties is limited, even though their voices may be loud. “Even if anti-pluralist opposition parties may contribute to a more difficult environment for scientists to engage in public debate of their scholarly findings, notably in relation to politically divisive topics, scholars’ freedom to research and teach, as well as universities’ autonomy, appear to remain protected until anti-pluralists enter government,” the report says.

However, when in power, authors say, anti-pluralist parties may “enact new laws and regulations that impose their political vision on academia, restricting free science and university autonomy”. 

And, while they may not have a tangible impact, researchers point out that the rise of anti-pluralist parties in opposition “inevitably” increases their chances of reaching government, with “potentially dire consequences for free academia”. 

The new report highlights the recent US presidential election as an example of the impact of anti-pluralism on academic freedom, saying universities in the country have come under “unprecedented pressure” since the start of Donald Trump’s second presidential term. 

“The longer-term build-up of restrictive higher education policies at state level, together with the more recent, unprecedented attack on free science at federal level, gives rise to serious concern regarding the future of academic freedom in the United States,” the report says. 

Angelo Vito Panaro, a researcher working on the Academic Freedom Index, said, in light of the findings, “universities and academics can best defend academic freedom by appealing to the judiciary and independent judicial institutions, which are responsible for upholding institutional autonomy”. 

Scholars can also “mobilise alongside other social and political actors to safeguard academic freedom, as it is currently happening in the United States”, he added. 

In total, the index identifies 34 cases of declining academic freedom, including some “newly registered decliners”, which include Chad, Finland, Georgia, Greece, and Israel. 

In contrast, eight countries – Bahrain, Fiji, Montenegro, Seychelles, Syria, Thailand, The Gambia, and Uzbekistan – experienced higher levels of academic freedom in 2024 than in 2014.

The authors caveat that “these improvements occurred at different levels, however, and did not always result in mostly or fully free levels of academic freedom”.

helen.packer@timeshighereducation.com