Swedish Higher Education Authority to conduct case studies on academic freedom

Freedom of research is already regulated in the Swedish Constitution and the Higher Education Act. Since 1 July 2021, the Higher Education Act also states that academic freedom must be promoted and safeguarded in the activities of higher education institutions. The management of higher education institutions are responsible for prioritising the issue and safeguarding a culture that allows the free pursuit and dissemination of knowledge.

“The strength of academia lies in its unbiased pursuit of new knowledge. Therefore, it must be possible for researchers and teachers to ask controversial questions and present unexpected results. It is extremely serious if researchers and teachers are excluded from scientific discourse because of their choice of words or subject matter. In order to gain a better understanding of the situation at higher education institutions, the Government is now instructing the Swedish Higher Education Authority to conduct in-depth case studies on academic freedom,” says Minister for Education Mats Persson.

According to the instructions in its appropriation directions for 2023, the Swedish Higher Education Authority is to conduct case studies in order to provide an in-depth understanding of the work of universities and higher education institutions in promoting and safeguarding academic freedom in accordance with the provisions of the Higher Education Act and a culture that allows the free pursuit and dissemination of knowledge. The Authority is also to compile a report on higher education institutions’ work on promoting and protecting academic freedom and a culture that allows the free pursuit and dissemination of knowledge. The report is to include a national summary and an international perspective.

The report on the case studies is to be submitted by 15 February 2024, while the report on other aspects is due by 15 May 2024.

The issue of academic freedom came to the fore in the second half of last year in the debate on the existence of ‘cancel culture’ at Swedish higher education institutions.