The Human Rights Committee of Sweden’s Scientific and Literary Academies has issued a statement on academic freedom. The statement outlines the committee’s views on academic freedom and its significance for research, education, and the dissemination of knowledge.
Academic freedom refers to the right to independently choose research questions, methods, and publication channels, free from interference by political, ideological, or commercial interests. It is regarded as a cornerstone of democratic society, as it ensures public access to independent and reliable knowledge.
Threats to academic freedom may arise from political control, commercial interests, and extremism, but also from within academia itself, through intolerance and cancel culture.
The committee emphasises the importance of protecting academic freedom to ensure that research and education can be pursued freely and rigorously, and that scientific knowledge can be disseminated openly to society.
In addition to the committee’s current members, Hanne Fjelde, Uppsala University, Mia Liinason, Lund University, and members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences – Ulf Ellervik, Lund University, Arne Jarrick and Peter Pagin, both Stockholm University – have also contributed to this work.
The Human Rights Committee of Sweden’s Scientific and Literary Academies includes members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities, the Swedish Academy and the Young Academy of Sweden.
