Luxury

The concept of ‘academic freedom’ in its modern form dates back to Alexander von Humboldt. As early as the beginning of the nineteenth century, he argued that universities should be sanctuaries for the pursuit of truth, shielded from political influences and market forces. Only in this way could universities fulfil their role as the independent conscience of society.

In the twentieth century, this thinking was continued by philosopher and psychiatrist Karl Jaspers. He wrote his famous essay entitled ‘Die Idee der Universität’ in 1946, at a time when Europe had just begun rebuilding after the Second World War. Jaspers had witnessed with his own eyes how a university loses its essence when it must surrender its academic freedom.

After the Second World War, science became an important economic factor, and universities experienced enormous growth to meet the demand for highly educated personnel. The Humboldtian ideal of Bildung – the intellectual, cultural and moral formation of the individual – gradually faded into the background and was exchanged for valorisation.

Universities nowadays are judged on measurable impact on societal issues. Valorisation is seen as an integral part of scientific practice. ‘It is a basic premise at TU Delft that education, research and valorisation are closely interrelated’, we read on its strategy pages. The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) has also elevated knowledge utilisation to an important assessment criterion.

In this modern political and social force field, it appears increasingly difficult to safeguard academic independence. The recently published KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) report Academic Freedom in the Netherlands: Response to Current Threats analyses the internal and external factors responsible for this.

The Netherlands is one of five EU countries where the Academic Freedom Index has declined ‘significantly’

According to the Academic Freedom Monitor 2024, the Netherlands is among the five EU countries where the Academic Freedom Index (AFI) has ‘significantly’ declined over the past 10 years. Partly because the Internationalisation in Balance Act further undermines the autonomy of Dutch higher education, the Netherlands ranks a mere 29th in the European University Association’s ranking of university autonomy.

Meanwhile, scientists are increasingly becoming targets of suspicion and aggression, causing them to no longer dare to speak openly about socially sensitive issues.

The situation in the United States is even more concerning. In many states, teaching about sensitive topics such as racism and gender has recently been prohibited. Climate research is being halted or severely cut. ‘Activist’ universities are facing harsh budgetary measures; so far only wealthy Harvard is fighting back.

The new budget proposal from the Trump administration makes drastic cuts to scientific research: the budgets of the National Science Foundation and NASA space agency are being halved, and the National Institutes of Health are losing nearly 40%. Prominent intellectuals, including Yale philosopher Jason Stanley, known for bestsellers such as How Fascism Works, have already left the country. Stanley sought refuge in Canada.

In response to these developments, many organisations and institutions, including TU Delft, have signed the ALLEA declaration for academic freedom and autonomy of scientific institutions. But this is not enough. The KNAW rightly raises the question of whether the right to academic freedom – as in many surrounding countries – should be enshrined in the Constitution. In light of the general erosion we are currently witnessing, this no longer seems an unnecessary luxury.