Strengthening Academic Freedom & Institutional Resilience in the European Research Area

The report from the webinar held on 5 June 2026, explores the growing challenges to academic freedom in the European Research Area and the role of institutional resilience in protecting it. The webinar brought together experts from academia, research organisations, and international organisations to examine global trends, structural threats, and practical approaches to safeguarding academic freedom.

Discussions highlighted that academic freedom extends beyond protecting individual researchers from political interference. Institutional autonomy, sustainable and diverse funding, supportive governance, secure research environments, research integrity, and strong research cultures are all essential to enabling researchers to work independently. The Academic Freedom Index also demonstrates a global decline in academic freedom since 2010, with declining institutional autonomy posing a particular risk.

The webinar further explored emerging challenges, including the concentration of academic publishing, increasing reliance on project-based funding and metrics, research security and dual-use considerations, and the impact of Artificial Intelligence on scientific work and attribution. Speakers emphasised the importance of maintaining an appropriate balance between research security and the openness and international collaboration that underpin science.

Looking ahead, the report identifies actions for research organisations and policy makers, including strengthening institutional autonomy, ensuring adequate funding for curiosity-driven research, monitoring developments in academic freedom, protecting researchers’ rights and safety, and embedding academic freedom considerations across research policy areas.