Universities Under Pressure: Academic Freedom in an Age of Authoritarianism and Human Rights Frameworks
06.10.2025
17:00 - 18:30
oiip
Währinger Strasse 3/12, 1090 Wien
Academic freedom is facing unprecedented challenges—from political interference and shrinking institutional autonomy to direct threats against scholars and competing interpretations of its core meaning. The 2025 Academic Freedom Index warns of significant declines in over 30 countries, underscoring that this is not only a problem for fragile democracies but also for established ones.
Our panel brings together leading perspectives:
Carsten Q. Schneider
Interim President and Rector at CEU, will reflect on how autocratic regimes systematically co-opt independent institutions, including universities, and discuss the academic migration trend from East and West toward Europe.
Kirsten R. Leyer
Expert in international human rights law and academic freedom and chair of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights' Scientific Committee, will focus on threats to academics, the erosion of university autonomy, and the need for human rights protections, including a possible Council of Europe Convention. She will also address the challenge of competing definitions of academic freedom, such as those in the ERA Act.
The discussion will be moderated by
Cengiz Günay
(Director oiip)
Following the panel, a small reception will be offered to continue the conversation informally.