Campaigning for academic freedom

Hayes offers an international review of recent campaigns for academic freedom, in Canada, the USA and the UK, providing a roadmap or 'handbook within a handbook' to academics' future defence of academic freedom. Academic freedom is most often discussed when it is under threat, he opines. Sensational cases of individuals, who have been censored, banned, suspended or dismissed for what they argue or say, regularly hit the headlines around the world. Even wanting to debate a controversial issue can be called a 'hate crime'. He argues that fighting for academic freedom is more important in the 21st century than ever and many groups now campaign in defence of academic freedom actively support individual academics whose academic freedom is under attack. These include the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) in the USA; the Society for Academic Freedom and Scholarship (SAFS) in Canada; Academics For Academic Freedom (AFAF) in the UK and many more. On an international level, Scholars at Risk (SAR) and the Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA) campaign for academic freedom and provide support threatened and vulnerable academics. The fight for academic freedom is a thousand-year-old struggle but the biggest battles may lie ahead, he argues. The overview of recent campaigns for academic freedom undertaken in his chapter provide a guide to what defending academic freedom will require in the future if academics wish to defend the foundational freedom of their profession. His chapter provides an important clarion call for academics to take up the challenge and responsibility of being 'freedom fighters' within their universities today.