French Report Warns of Decline in Academic Freedoms Worldwide

SadaNews - A French report has warned of a decline in academic freedoms worldwide, from the United States "where the situation is dangerous" to Europe where alarming signs are emerging.

The report, issued by the International Research Center at the Institute of Political Studies in Paris, stated that violations of academic freedoms are due to "deviations" influenced by "authoritarian regimes and contemporary populist movements".

The report also recalled the accusations of "Islamo-leftist extremism" faced by academics and researchers, as well as the controversy surrounding pro-Palestinian protests.

It added that this issue affects "both prestigious and modest universities" in the United States, across various disciplines "from political and social sciences to climate sciences", in a "hostile climate".

The report mentioned nine countries in the European Union "where the level of academic freedoms is below average": Austria, Malta, Romania, Croatia, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Greece, Poland, and Hungary.

In Poland, researchers have faced legal prosecutions over their research on the complicity of certain social groups in the Jewish genocide.

France recorded a "notable decline", especially at the legal and political levels, according to the report.

The report stated that the rise in criticisms directed at several European universities regarding the so-called "woke" movement by media and political groups "has contributed to undermining academic freedoms".