Upon invitation only

The Berlin Center for Global Engagement (BCGE), Berlin University Alliance (BUA) and co²libri – Conceptual Collaboration: Living Borderless Research Interaction (ZMO/FU/HU) organize a

Discussion Round and Workshop

Academic Freedom and Institutional Resilience: Transnational and International Perspectives on Alliance-building and Networking 

with Prof. Bencharat Chua

Coalition for Academic Freedom Southeast Asia (SEACAF)

Building on key strategies and practices of the Southeast Asian Coalition for Academic Freedom (SEACAF), this workshop, Academic Freedom and Institutional Resilience, invites participants to explore and discuss which practices could be developed at both individual and institutional levels within the Berlin University Alliance. Founded in December 2024 to defend and promote academic freedom in the Southeast Asian region, SEACAF offers an insightful, decentered and multi-layered practice of (re)constructing solidarity in defence of academic freedom. Hosted by the Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies at Mahidol University in Thailand, the coalition aims to establish a regional hub for scholars at risk in the Philippines and in other contexts. It is currently supported by the US‑based international network Scholars at Risk. SEACAF is developing a regional principle of academic freedom, drawing on the 2017 Surabaya Principle of Academic Freedom, as well as a decentered, context-sensitive monitoring system to assist local stakeholders in reporting incidents and coordinating necessary interventions across various levels and across borders – whether geographic or disciplinary.