Academic freedom is the freedom that educators, students and institutions should enjoy so that they may “engage in intellectual debate without fear of censorship or retaliation” (insidehighered.com). This allows freedom in choosing what to study and research, what to write and publish, and what to discuss in and out of the classroom. This is important not only to those who teach at or attend an academic institution, including universities, but also to those who are in the community because “the knowledge produced and disseminated in colleges and universities is critical for the development of society and for the health of a democracy, an idea often expressed by the phrase ‘for the common good’ or ‘for the public good,’” (aaup.org). Unfortunately, this freedom is “always being threatened from interests outside of the academy” (aft.org)—especially in certain countries.
The UVU Office for Global Engagement is formally associated with the United Nations Department of Global Communications, which involvement has led to the organization of two major conferences in recent years, namely the 68th UN Civil Society Conference, as well as the First International Academic Conference on the Sustainable Development Goals “Why It Matters.” The office focuses heavily on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, with an emphasis on SDG 4, which focuses on quality education. The focus on inclusion, paired with the Office for Global Engagement’s focus on quality education, provide the perfect environment for a conversation on academic freedom, UVU being the ideal platform for such discussion. The symposium aspires to examine academic freedom with both a global and a domestic lens while focusing on five topics of conversation: foundations of learning, education emergency and crisis, hate speech, gender equality, and digital transformation and AI.
The purpose of the symposium is to engage in a conversation about these issues, the challenges of mis and disinformation, as well as raise awareness about academic freedom to those who may not be aware of the threats to academia and scholars around the world. We also want it to provide a support mechanism for those who have been affected by or displaced due to a lack of academic freedom. In essence, this symposium should establish lines for future communication, networking, and research, so that this conversation continues beyond the symposium and feeds into the global conversation that UNESCO has led on individual rights and freedoms of higher- education teaching personnel, including civil rights, academic freedom, publication rights, and the international exchange of information.
The goal is to develop a collaborative platform where collegiality is the driving force in the shared responsibility of ensuring that quality education is accessible, protected, inclusive, and equitable, fostering discussions about these issues as a result of the conversations and presentations during the symposium. Similarly, it is expected that the symposium will delve into the essential role of education in ensuring sustainable development, protect human rights, and create a safer and more peaceful global community. For that, this symposium should be only the starting point for future discussions on academic freedom and its global impact and relevance.
The host and organizer of the conference is the Utah Valley University (UVU) Office for Global Engagement. The conference organizers will make every effort to ensure that perspectives from diverse academic communities are represented.
The symposium will be held at the Orem campus of Utah Valley University in Utah, USA. UVU is the largest public university in the State of Utah, and it was a key partner in bringing to Salt Lake City, Utah the first United Nations Civil Society Conference in history to take place in the United States of America in 2019, as well as the First International Academic Conference on the Sustainable Development Goals “Why It Matters,” in 2022.
The symposium will be conducted solely in person, to ensure the protection of panelists and participants who are scholar refugees or asylees. The symposium organizers will be responsible for developing all elements of the program, which shall include global and domestic panels related to academic freedom.
Academic freedom, or lack thereof, can determine not only whether scholars can choose what to research and publish—safely, without fear, but also whether individuals can choose what to study and discuss, or whether academic institutions can include certain subjects in their curriculums. The Academic Freedom Symposium will aim to be the beginning of a discussion on what academic freedom does for scholars and the global and local communities at large, as well as providing a safety mechanism for scholars who have been displaced due to a lack of freedom. Additionally, it will raise awareness about the concept of academic freedom and its relevant in the current environment in which we live.
Baldomero Lago, PhD
Utah Valley University
Office for Global Engagement Chief International Officer
e: [email protected]
Ph: 801 863 7103
