In Germany, freedom of science and research is enshrined in the Basic Law and protected as a fundamental right. It knows no boundaries apart from fundamental constitutional values. We can see how important this is from current developments in the USA and elsewhere. Anyone who wants to advance society and the economy through research and new findings must be able to work freely. The freedom of science and the fundamental values of the constitution are high values that we at Humboldt-Universit?t stand up for and defend.
A cooperation between Freie Universit?t Berlin, Humboldt-Universit?t zu Berlin and the SCRIPTS Cluster of Excellence.
Academic freedom is not a matter of course
Academic freedom is not a privilege. As can be observed worldwide, it is also not a matter of course. However, it is the prerequisite for universities to remain what they should be: Places of knowledge, innovation - and contradiction. Only free science can answer the big questions of our time.
We provide insights into current debates, shed light on legal, political and ethical dimensions and offer academics from both universities a platform to make their professional perspectives and expertise visible. The aim is to make academic freedom tangible - for researchers, students and anyone who wants to help shape science. Freie Universit?t and Humboldt-Universit?t stand for a strong, open academic system that is based on autonomy, responsibility and critical discourse.
History obliges
The history of our two universities is closely linked to issues of democracy, responsibility and international cooperation - and makes the topic of academic freedom particularly relevant for our academic communities. Freie Universit?t Berlin was founded in 1948 by professors and students in response to the persecution of students critical of the system at Unter den Linden University in what was then the Soviet sector of divided Berlin. Since its foundation, Freie Universit?t has seen itself as a place of open exchange and critical reflection. The Humboldt-Universit?t zu Berlin - founded in 1809 as Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universit?t and renamed Humboldt-Universit?t in 1949 - was founded with the aim of thinking science in terms of social responsibility - and acting as a creative force for the future.
(Founding) history is an obligation - especially today, at a time when academic freedom is coming under pressure: due to political expectations, debates about so-called "cancel culture", international dependencies or economic influence. With the joint thematic focus "Academic Freedom", we want to inform, sensitise and strengthen the discourse. What does academic freedom mean today - both individually and institutionally? Where are its limits, where is it under threat? And what responsibility does science itself bear?
