Academic freedom challenged
Every second researcher, teacher and doctoral student feels that academic freedom at Swedish higher education institutions is being challenged. These are the conclusions of a new report by the Swedish Higher Education Authority.
In January 2023, the government commissioned the Higher Education Authority (UKÄ) to carry out case studies on the work of higher education institutions on academic freedom in line with the Higher Education Act.
On 15 May 2024, the Authority finalised the report “Akademisk frihet i Sverige” (“Academic Freedom in Sweden”).
Challenges have changed behaviour
The report includes a survey sent to more than 10,000 researchers, teachers and doctoral students with a response rate of 38 percent. In it, every second researcher, teacher and doctoral student stated that they felt academic freedom at Swedish higher education institutions is being challenged. Around 75 percent of respondents who have experienced a challenge to their academic freedom say that it has also led to some kind of change in their behaviour. However, few respondents have sought help from their higher education institution when their academic freedom has been challenged, and, of those who have sought support from their institution, just under a fifth say they received sufficient support.
The report also includes a section on higher education institutions’ perspectives on academic freedom. In that section, the HEIs stress that a decentralised organisation with collegial management is central to academic freedom. At the same time, however, many researchers, teachers and doctoral students expressed concern in the survey about a reduction in collegial management and that they see this as a challenge to academic freedom.
Anders Berndt