Did Heaton-Harris revive support for academic freedom?
On 24 October I received an email from a journalist assuming I’d be ‘outraged’ by the McCartheyism of Tory MP Christopher Heaton-Harris who had written a letter to all the […]
Dare we make a case for colonialism?
I am a Nigerian research student. The main thrust of my research concerns the legacy of colonialism in education in Western Nigeria. The debate on colonialism has assumed tremendous attention […]
Jo Johnson ‘no platforms’ no platform
The universities minister, Jo Johnson, announced today that under the sway of the new Office for Students (OfS) universities must guarantee free speech. If they do not and continue supporting […]
Louise Richardson: free-speech hero
Over 2,640 students’ union officers, LGBTQ+ activists, academics and students have signed a letter demanding an apology from Professor Louise Richardson, vice-chancellor of the University of Oxford. What did Richardson do to […]
An invitation to join the Heterodox Academy
Jeremy Willinger invites AFAF members and others to join the Heterodox Academy: There can be no more vital issue for academics than academic freedom. The university system was founded on […]
What is the point of a university?
Should a university privilege knowledge or skills? Are ideas central to its mission or should university education focus on employability? Should universities be free and open to discuss everything or […]
In defence of unwise speech
Academics must be defiant in their defence of free speech. I want to defend irresponsible speech, unwise speech, offensive speech, threatening speech and vituperative speech. ‘Reclaiming Our University’, a manifesto […]
Free Speech University Rankings 2017
The 2017 Free Speech University Rankings (FSUR) – sponsored by AFAF – is out. spiked’s groundbreaking analysis of campus censorship in the UK has published its third annual report, and […]
Academic Freedom Motion for UCU Congress 2017
Academic Freedom Congress instructs the NEC to bring to Congress in 2018 a statement in defence of Academic Freedom as an addition to UCU Rules Section 2 ‘Aims and Objects’.
THE FREE SPEECH DEBATE
Free speech has become an issue of significant controversy. This debate will assess a number of key questions, including: