Global Observatory on Academic Freedom (GOAF)
The Global Observatory on Academic Freedom (GOAF) is an autonomous research project hosted by the School of Education, Communication and Society at King’s College London.
GOAF aims to conduct rigorous, innovative, and practically relevant research that responds to the needs of rethinking the concept of academic freedom, which is facing a crisis around the world.
New developments in academe, societies, national politics, and geopolitics pose new challenges to academic freedom, theoretical as much as empirical. GOAF stimulates debate on the understanding and practice of academic freedom, as well as its regulation and monitoring at the institutional, national, regional, and global levels.
As a globally networked platform, GOAF furthers efforts to conceptualise, promote, and defend academic freedom, while avoiding the limitations that come with a narrow national positioning.
GOAF’s research on academic freedom is conducted with a view to supporting universities in effectively pursuing their mission of producing, transmitting, and disseminating knowledge as a public good.
Universities do not control their national regulatory frameworks. They can, however, challenge public authorities to create and maintain the conditions for academic freedom. They can take action — within limits that differ from country to country — to document infringements of academic freedom, resist restrictive attempts by governments, regulators, or even internal constituencies, and find ways to promote, assert, and protect academic freedom.
Academic freedom is a cornerstone of higher education and democracy. The GOAF project connects interested stakeholders to reflect and act together on possible pathways to preserve academic freedom and democratic societies.
GOAF was originally established in 2020-2021 and hosted by Central European University in Vienna, in the wake of the forced relocation of this University from Budapest, Hungary. GOAF started as a project supported financially by the Open Society University Network (OSUN). When OSUN support stopped, GOAF moved to King’s College London.
GOAF aims to:
- create a platform connecting scholars with expertise and interest in academic freedom
- open space for debate and discussion of competing understandings and challenges to academic freedom in today’s world
- publish an annual thematic report on the state of the field, accompanied by case studies highlighting positive developments, threats, and infringements
- maintain an online repository of key resources on academic freedom
- reflect on and disseminate analyses of innovative approaches and help advance efforts to safeguard academic freedom.
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.