The University of Jyväskylä signs a European declaration in defence of academic freedom
“We pledge to uphold a model of European higher education that is rooted in scientific truth and grounded in open, critical debate,” says Rector Jari Ojala from the University of Jyväskylä.
The University of Jyväskylä is part of the FORTHEM Alliance funded by the European Commission. The purpose of the alliance is to create sustainable collaboration between the network’s universities in education, research and societal interaction.
In the declaration, the universities recognise the complexity of today’s societal challenges and commit to addressing them collaboratively, across borders, through international research and teaching cooperation.
The declaration states the following: “We believe that data and scientific findings must be treated as a common good, and that intellectual freedoms must be guaranteed for all members of the academic community. In this spirit, we are dedicated to providing students and staff from Europe and around the world with a safe, supportive space in which their right to open, informed dialogue is respected and upheld. In defending these principles, we take a collective stand as an alliance, to protect the future of science, education, and democratic societies in Europe and beyond.”
There are growing threats to the autonomy and integrity of higher education and scientific inquiry across the globe. In a number of countries, state actors have begun to question the standards of scientific truth, seeking to advance political or commercial interests at the expense of independent research.
The declaration states that there are attempts to curb academic freedom by withdrawing funding for research on particular topics. Particularly initiatives to promote diversity, equity and inclusion or the diversity of nature have been cancelled or understated. The social, political and media landscape is marked by widespread disinformation and established scientific consensus is given no greater consideration than uninformed opinion. These developments pose a grave risk not only to the integrity of academia but to democratic societies at large.
