GC Research Manager Dr Chiara Altafin leads the research and involves 8 policy analysts selected among the alumni of GC regional master’s programmes, namely Meline Avagyan (CES), Anida Gjurgjiali (ERMA), Lakshita Kanhiya (HRDA), Luis Fernando Herrera Martinez (LATMA), Mostafa Masjedi Arani (ArMA), Minh Nguyen (APMA), Nikolaos Sousos (EMA), and Akylai Tenizbaeva (MAHRS).
In this context, a hybrid Policy Observatory Workshop was held on March 26. It provided an opportunity for the team to present and discuss with GC representatives from regional hubs (Anja Mihr, Kristine Gevorgyan, Marco Borraccetti, Nyi Nyi Kyaw, George Ulrich, Veronica Gomez, Frans Viljoen, and Jihad Nammour) as well as external regional experts (Saniia Toktogazieva, Belina Bedini, Marina Galstyan, Khoo Ying Hooi, Peter Maassen, Camilla Croso, Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua, and Amro Ali) the preliminary research findings in the various regions concerned (respectively, Central Asia, South East Europe, Caucasus, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East & North Africa).
Following the opening welcome addresses by GC Secretary General Manfred Nowak, Dr Chiara Altafin introduced the research project, highlighting some of the premises from which it has been developed.
In particular, academic freedom has been progressively recognised as a multifaceted human right at the international level, and it is legally grounded in various provisions of international law, including those enshrining freedom of opinion and expression, the right to education, and the right to the benefits of science; it also has elements of freedom of association, freedom of movement, and other rights.
Moreover, academic freedom and institutional autonomy have been acknowledged as essential elements of free and democratic societies.
Regional legal and policy frameworks have progressively reinforced academic freedom and institutional autonomy, at least formally. Significant initiatives from non-governmental higher education institutions have also contributed to the reinforcement of academic freedom beyond the state level since the eighties. However, threats to academic freedom at all levels of education have increasingly arisen from diverse situations of armed conflicts, authoritarianism, populist regimes, repressive governments, heightened polarisation based on religion, race, political divides, or democratic backsliding globally.
Over the past two decades, academic freedom has been deteriorating and remains under attack across all continents, with broad patterns of violations.
It has therefore become more and more worth understanding further different scenarios and strategies used to curtail academic freedom in various parts of the world, depending on the context, as well as calling for stronger acknowledgement of a rights-based dimension of academic freedom at international, regional, national, and institutional levels, to ensure effective protection and implementation.
The PO Workshop offered a great opportunity to trace emerging trends, address traditional and new threats to academic freedom, make relevant comparisons and discuss policy recommendations, before the forthcoming finalisation of policy briefs and other research outputs.