Critical perspectives on academic freedom

Academic freedom is usually discussed primarily from two different perspectives: the academic freedom of individual researchers and institutional academic freedom. Individual freedom is covered by provisions in the Higher Education Act which ensure that researchers are free to choose research topics, develop methods and publish results (Higher Education Act 1992:1434, Section 6). Institutional freedom concerns the freedom to organise and plan academic activities independently, without interference from the state or political interests. Both individual and institutional academic freedom are currently being investigated by the Swedish government (links to the two inquiries). 

However, many aspects of university activities are missing from the public debate and the government’s inquiry mandate. Challenges to academic freedom may, for example, relate to security of employment, the working environment at universities, the commercialisation of research, recruitment principles, violence, harassment and hatred towards researchers and teachers, as well as how concepts such as ‘excellence’ may end up excluding certain types of research. 

Academic freedom in this broader sense show that it is ultimately a question of the conditions for research and education. A US presidential order in early 2025 banned public funding for research using the term ‘gender’,which can be seen as an example of how discussions on academic freedom  also are centred on research orientations and the content of teaching. In Sweden, too, there are gender researchers who feel their academic freedom is restricted. However, in certain academic contexts, gender research and other critical perspectives have also been described as dominant in a way that marginalises other perspectives and research orientations.

Many high-profile Swedish and international cases can be linked to conflicts with global reach and involvement. Examples of this include the issue of Swedish universities’ support for the State of Israel, or conflicts concerning the ‘right’ to express offensive views and/or protest on university campuses. This shows that definitions and boundaries of on the one hand freedom of speech and on the other hand academic freedom are important for the discussion.  

The project

In 2026, the project will commence with a review of national and international literature on the subject. Key researchers and stakeholders within the research policy context will be identified, as well as journals and conferences to which we can contribute.

In 2026, we plan to produce at least one academic publication based on a number of case studies from the national and international debate on academic freedom, as well as a workshop with invited researchers with whom we wish to deepen our collaboration in 2027. The project includes formulating a study that can form the basis for an application for external funding. The project is a part of the focus area "A free knowledge society".

Project duration: 2026–2027

Target groups: stakeholders who influence or are active within the higher education sector, research policy, research and education 

We collaborate with: researchers and stakeholders within research policy