Wednesday, 20 May 2026, marked the third International Academic Freedom Day (IAFD), a date chosen deliberately to coincide with the anniversary of the birth of John Stuart Mill – the "most influential English language philosopher of the nineteenth century", according to Stanford's encyclopedia, born on 20 May 1806 and author of On Liberty (1859), whose defence of free thought and expression remains foundational to liberal democratic values. The observance was declared at the first annual conference of Academics for Academic Freedom (AFAF) in November 2023, when the organisation announced that 20 May would henceforth be dedicated to promoting and protecting academic freedom.
"Academic freedom, the right to question, discover, teach, learn and debate without fear or censorship, intimidation or undue interference, is under growing pressure. Disinformation and suppression of intellectual dissent erode trust in science, and scholars worldwide face mounting threats," write Executive Vice-Presidents Virkkunen and Mînzatu and Commissioners Zaharieva and McGrath in a joint statement, the European Commission affirming that "freedom of expression, academic freedom, and creative liberty should never be taken for granted."
Their message places academic freedom alongside freedom of expression and creative liberty as values requiring active protection — a position consistent with the Commission's broader policy agenda. "When academic freedom is limited, societies lose access to independent knowledge, critical thinking weakens, innovation suffers, and democratic debate becomes poorer and less informed," continues the statement.
IPSA on Academic Freedom
A notable addition is the explicit recognition that war, armed conflict, and organised violence can gravely undermine academic freedom — through the killing of academics, the destruction of research infrastructure, forced displacement, and restrictions on scholarly mobility. These acts are described as incompatible with academic freedom, the protection of higher education, and respect for humanitarian law.
IPSA also expressed deep concern about actions taken by the United States administration that it said threatened the autonomy of researchers and the independence of higher-education institutions, including the withdrawal of research funding and the initiation of investigations into universities over their handling of Gaza-related protests, transgender athlete policies, and diversity commitments. IPSA calls on all authorities and relevant actors to protect scholars, students, universities, and research institutions "to respect humanitarian law and to uphold the conditions necessary for free inquiry, open debate, and peaceful scholarly exchange". IPSA also urges its members not to adopt or support policies and practices that conflict with these principles.
In response to these concerns, the Commission signals its intention to enshrine freedom of scientific research in the EU, reflecting a wider ambition in this area. The four commissioners propose in the next Horizon Europe to double the support for the European Research Council (ERC) and to substantially increase the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) budget. "Through their bottom-up, excellence-based approach, the ERC and the MSCA give researchers the freedom to follow their scientific curiosity, develop independent careers, collaborate across borders and break new ground," they write. The next EU multiannual financial framework (MFF) is currently in negotiations and still requires an agreement between the Commission, the Council of the EU, and the European Parliament.
The Academics For Academic Freedom initiative (AFAF), a civil-society campaign organisation, hosted an
online event this year, organised by
Professor Dennis Hayes – emeritus professor of education at the University of Derby and founder of AFAF – drawing together individuals and organisations defending free speech and academic freedom from the United Kingdom, Ireland, continental Europe, and the United States.
Image: By Creatives Unite, CCBY4.0
