Academic freedom concerns us all

Academic freedom is the foundation for our university’s activities. Without the free formation of knowledge, a university becomes a factory for knowledge transfer, controlled and harnessed by those holding the reins of power.

For researchers, academic freedom is primarily the freedom to choose research questions and methods, and the freedom to disseminate the results.

But what about students’ academic freedom? Is there such a thing? There certainly is and it was what Wilhelm von Humboldt had in mind when he coined the term academic freedom and created the foundation for the modern research university.

As a student, you should have the freedom to choose your subject, independently take charge of your evolving understanding of that subject and steer your own development resulting from the knowledge you have assimilated. As students, you also have an academic responsibility. This means being open to the unfamiliar and prepared to question your own views and understanding of a subject, or the world in general.

There are ongoing efforts being made to create formal legal protection for academic freedom in university education. This is an important and multifaceted undertaking, and I am very much looking forward to participating in it and hearing other peoples’ views on the issue.

Within Lund University, we are constantly working to promote academic freedom. It is an unending task, as the challenges shift according to the times and social climate. When we are successful, this is apparent in the diversity of results, interpretations and conclusions. Sometimes, these may be in direct conflict with each other. We handle these conflicts not with the volume of our voices or by exerting authority, but through the strength of our arguments and the power of our words.

Erik Renström, Vice-Chancellor