Photo by Daylina Miller / WUSF

Academic Freedom and Resilience

Supporting academic freedom and resilience is a key part of the network's mission. Since its inception, the network has responded to crises in Myanmar, Afghanistan, and Ukraine that have led to the forced displacement and interrupted education of many students and scholars. As authoritarian takeovers and war disrupted lives and universities, and as academic freedom came under assault, the network has striven to provide collaborative and institutional responses.

Network partner institutions deliver a wide range of online courses and create pathways for displaced students to complete certificate programs and university degrees. The network also offers fellowships at partner institutions to scholars who have lost their academic positions or cannot remain in their home countries due to threats from authoritarian regimes.

Initiatives

Institutional Partners

Study by OSUN Global Observatory on Academic Freedom Finds European Higher Education Values Need Strengthening

In 2022, the Global Observatory on Academic Freedom and the Council of Europe produced a study on the use of quality assurance tools to safeguard fundamental values of higher education in the European Higher Education Area. The research found that values associated with truth, democracy, and independent thinking need additional support and advocacy efforts from stakeholders.