From May 18 to 22, 2026, the Berlin-Brandenburg Academic Freedom Week brought together universities, researchers and cultural practitioners to discuss how academic freedom can be safeguarded in the face of global challenges. Aimed at the wider public, the programme featured a broad range of events, including panel discussions, information sessions and film screenings. One of the highlights was the panel discussion “Academic Freedom at Risk: European Universities Between Resilience and Responsibility”, held on May 20 in the Senate Hall of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.

European Universities Between Resilience and Responsibility

Following opening remarks by French Ambassador François Delattre, Andrea Fleschenberg dos Ramos Pinéu and Khoo Ying Hooi presented key findings from the workshop “(Re-)Constructing Solidarity: Connecting Academic Freedom Worldwide.” Jay Rowell then shared insights from the roundtable “Transnational Perspectives on Academic Freedom.” Both events had taken place earlier during Academic Freedom Week.

What Responsibilities Do European Universities Have?

The subsequent panel discussion brought together Julia von Blumenthal, president of HU Berlin, Markus Hilgert, president of the University of Arts Belrin (UdK), Pierre-Paul Zalio, president of the Paris social sciences Campus Condorcet and independent researcher Sevil Çakır. The discussion focused on the responsibilities of European universities at a time when academic freedom is increasingly under threat, how resilient institutions currently are, and how that resilience can be strengthened. The panel was moderated by science journalist Jan-Martin Wiarda.

Participants agreed that academic freedom cannot be understood in one-dimensional terms. On the one hand, it is essential to protect researchers who are individually at risk; on the other, universities themselves must also be protected from political and societal attacks. According to Çakır, threats to academic freedom can take subtle forms, including precarious working conditions, funding cuts and growing competitive pressures. Solidarity among academics – particularly with international partner institutions – was described as especially important.

“Universities Are a Reflection of Society”

Responding to the question of whether academic freedom can also be threatened from within academia itself, von Blumenthal stressed: “Universities are a reflection of society.” If anti-democratic or far-right ideologies gain support outside the university, she argued, these developments are also reflected within academic institutions. In this context, she emphasised the importance of continuously raising awareness of the special value of academic freedom.

Respectful Debate as a Democratic Necessity

During the final Q&A session, participants called for greater attention to the role of students, who make up the majority of university communities. In closing – also in response to a small protest during the event – Hilgert once again underlined the importance of academic freedom and a respectful culture of debate within society. Listening to one another and maintaining mutual respect, even in the face of fundamentally different opinions, he said, is essential.

The week of events was organised by the Scholars at Risk Berlin-Brandenburg network and the Berlin University Alliance, with support from the French Embassy, Institut Français Deutschland and the Philipp Schwartz Initiative. Numerous academic and cultural institutions from the Berlin-Brandenburg region also contributed to the programme, including Centre Marc Bloch, Campus Condorcet and Bard College.

Held annually, the Academic Freedom Week provides a platform for exchange on initiatives such as those of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the German Academic Exchange Service. Its aim is to strengthen networks and develop joint strategies to safeguard academic freedom in the long term.

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