ACADEMIC FREEDOM AND DEMOCRATIC FUTURES:

Knowledge, Power, and Resilience Across Regions�

Kaja Gadowska

Jagiellonian University in Krakow

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European Sociological Association

Polish Sociological Association

6th ISA Council of National Associations

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Building Resilient Sociologies:

Voices, Visions, and Ventures

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December 17–20, 2025

FLAME University, Pune, India

Across the world, democracy faces multiple threats.���From Central and Eastern Europe to the United States and beyond, diverse forms of democratic erosion—both overt and subtle—are reshaping the institutional and cultural foundations of open societies.

DEMOCRATIC DECLINE SINCE 2005

Freedom House (2025). Freedom in the World 2025: The Uphill Battle to Safeguard Rights. 

https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2025/uphill-battle-to-safeguard-rights#the-year-in-brief

Note: Countries whose scores were unchanged

are not included in this comparison.

Freedom House (2020). Nations in Transit 2020: Dropping the Democratic Facade. https://freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/2020-04/05062020_FH_NIT2020_vfinal.pdf

DEMOCRATIZING

VS.

AUTOCRATIZING COUNTRIES,

1974-2024

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The left panel displays the number of countries in each category.

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The right panel

shows the share of the world’s population living in autocratizing or democratizing

countries.

Nord, M., Altman, D., Angiolillo, F., Fernandes, T., Good God, A., & Lindberg, S. I. (2025). Democracy Report 2025: 25 Years of Autocratization – Democracy Trumped? University of Gothenburg: V-Dem Institute.

GLOBAL SHARE OF POPULATION LIVING IN AUTHOCRATIZING AND DEMOCRATIZING COUNTRIES

Nord, M., Altman, D., Angiolillo, F., Fernandes, T., Good God, A., & Lindberg, S. I. (2025). Democracy Report 2025: 25 Years of Autocratization – Democracy Trumped? University of Gothenburg: V-Dem Institute.

�DEMOCRATISATION VS. AUTOCRATISATION IN 2024�

• Only 29 countries currently meet liberal democracy standards globally.
• The wave of autocratization has been going on for at least 25 years and shows no signs of cresting.
• An increasing number of countries – now 45 – are autocratizing.
• Autocratizers are home to 3.1 billion people, or 38% of the world population. South and Central Asia accounts for more than half.
• Only 19 countries with less than 6% of the world population – or 452 million – are democratizing. Two-thirds of those live in three countries: Brazil, Poland, and Thailand.
• Populist right electoral gains strongly correlate with declining university autonomy.
• Democracy Report 2025: 25 Years of Autocratization – Democracy Trumped?, V-Dem Institute).
• democratisation – blue
• autocratisation – red

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Nord, M., Altman, D., Angiolillo, F., Fernandes, T., Good God, A., & Lindberg, S. I. (2025). Democracy Report 2025: 25 Years of Autocratization – Democracy Trumped? University of Gothenburg: V-Dem Institute.

�The Levitsky & Ziblatt democracy test �4 warning signs��A political leader or party is considered a serious threat to democracy if they regularly violate one or more of the following norms:��1) rejection of (or weak commitment to) democratic rules of the game�– questioning election results�– supporting unconstitutional actions�– refusing to accept legitimate political outcomes��2) denial of the legitimacy of political opponents�– portraying opponents as criminals, traitors, or enemies�– suggesting rivals should be banned or excluded from politics��3) toleration or encouragement of violence�– endorsing political violence (explicitly or implicitly)�– praising violent supporters or refusing to condemn them��4) readiness to curtail civil liberties of opponents, including the media�– attacks on press freedom�– using state power to harass opponents, ngos, courts, or journalists�

Steven Levitsky

& Daniel Ziblatt

2018

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�While the causes of global democratic backsliding are based on combination of political, economic, and cultural factors, and are highly context specific, both demand and supply side of politics are an important part of the process.�

Grzegorz Ekiert

2025

U-TURN TO AUTHORITARIANISM:�A SUPPLY SIDE EXPLANATIONS��1) imposed neo-liberal economic reforms and capitalism;��2) growing inequalities and welfare�retrenchment;��3) forced imitation of the West (Ivan Krastev & Stephen Holmes, 2019);��4) emergence of populist and nationalist political parties advancing radical nationalist frames resulting in decline of the initial liberal consensus and reemergence of nationalist historical bloc;��5) autocratic legalism (Kim Lane Scheppele, 2018) and illiberal policies introduced by ruling parties and their leaders.�

Grzegorz Ekiert

2025

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U-TURN TO AUTHORITARIANISM:�A DEMAND SIDE EXPLANATIONS��1) rebellion of the transition / globalization losers – political economy;��2) cultural backlash – cultural modernisation takes more time than econmic one (Ronald Inglehart & Pippa Norris, 2019) – political culture; traditional norms and values are very resilient (new institutional theory – Douglas North, 1990);��3) post-transition status anxiety, transition fatigue, exclusion and anomie – political sociology.�

Grzegorz Ekiert

2025

AUTOCRATIC LEGALISM��strategic use of law by elected leaders to undermine democratic pluralism maintaining legal facade.��Authocratic legalism is not the absence of law, but its weaponisation.��Charismatic leaders are elected by democratic publics and then use their electoral mandate to dismantle by law the constitutional systems they inherited.��These leader aim to consolidate power and to remain in office indifinitely, eventually eliminating the ability of democratic publics to exercise their basic democratic rights, to hold leaders accountable, and to change their leaders peacefuly.

Kim Lane Scheppele

2018

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Legalistic autocrats deploy the law to achieve their aims – thus autocracy may not be evident form start.��They often follow a script using tactics that they borrow from each other:��for example Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has borrowed certain tactics from Russian President Vladimir Putin (such as the centralisation of local government functions and the introduction of vertical power structures) and from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (such as reforms affecting the Constitutional Court); at the same time, he has passed some of these practices on to others.

Kim Lane Scheppele 2018

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Academic freedom

• Academic freedom is linked to the condition of democracy, and with the decline of democracy we are seeing in many regions, its importance is even greater.

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• We observe an increasing pressure on academic freedom, including constraints on critical inquiry in some countries and a broader trend of delegitimizing social sciences in public debates 🡪 sociology as an empirical science can reveal a different picture of society than the one promulgated by the government (an illustrative historical example: already in 1951-1956, sociology was removed from universities in Poland).

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• Across the globe, authoritarian political movements are fueling a backlash against science and taking steps to undermine the autonomy of academia, restricting its ability to conduct research freely, teach independently, and express views that challenge or diverge from a government’s ideological line.

The lack of a binding and detailed definition of academic freedom.��In the United States, it is often conflated with the very broad notion of free speech, protected under the First Amendment to the Constitution.��In Europe, by contrast, academic freedom is more specifically understood as the institutional and individual autonomy to conduct research, teach, and disseminate knowledge, free from political or economic interference, but within professional and ethical standards.��This distinction is important because it clarifies that the European conversation about academic freedom is not only about expression in the public sphere but also about defending the conditions that make independent scholarship possible.

Academic freedom

�In the Humboldtian tradition, academic freedom is realized through the autonomous choice of topics and methods in both teaching and research, as well as through the right of employees to contribute to the development of knowledge in accordance with the norms and principles established by the academic community.��The chief task of the university, its mission, is the free pursuit of truth – TRUTH SEEKING.�

Academic freedom:

A European perspective

���The European strategy for universities published by the European Commission in 2022 acknowledges that 'universities are key to promote active citizenship, tolerance, equality and diversity, openness and critical thinking for more social cohesion and social trust, and thus protect European democracies. Universities have an active role in preparing graduates to be well-informed European citizens. By teaching and awareness raising actions, they support anchoring European values in society, and by upholding scientific rigour, they help to strengthen trust in science’. ��Academic freedom contributes to the democratic development of societies by promoting critical thinking and encouraging students to question accepted claims and debate them. Students can apply these skills as citizens in public discourses. The ability to question claims can also strengthen resistance against fake news and gives students the desire to get involved in society.��Current polarized environment makes living up to this idea even harder.��

Academic freedom:

A European perspective

CORE ELEMENTS��1/ freedom of teaching�2/ freedom of research�3/ freedom of learning / freedom to study �4/ freedom of dissemination (intramural and extramural)�5/ the right of self-governance��SUPPORTING ELEMENTS��6/ employment security�7/ institutional autonomy�8/ campus integrity

Academic Freedom:

A European perspective

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The Onion Model

by the European Parliament Panel for the Future of Science and Technology

Academic freedom is recognised as a fundamental Eeuropean value by article 13 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, as well as in several policy initiatives such as the Bologna Process, the European Universities Initiative and ERASMUS+.��Article 13 of the EU charter of fundamental rights states that ‘the arts and scientific research shall be free of constraint. Academic freedom shall be respected’. ��But the Charter only applies to the EU member states and does not specify the content of academic freedom.��However, academic freedom rarely appears in other legally binding international conventions.�

Academic freedom:

A European perspective

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Legal protection

The level of detail in the definition of academic freedom also varies widely between national regulations.��On the other hand, there are escalating pressures—some overtly political, others more structural—that threaten this freedom in practice.��De iure and de facto protection of academic freedom.��Direct political interference is increasingly visible in the United States, Central and Eastern Europe, and globally.

Academic freedom:

National contexts

GLOBAL ACADEMIC FREEDOM DECLINE

• THE STATE OF ACADEMIC FREEDOM IN 2024

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• 34 countries have experienced significant declines in academic freedom over the last decade

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Kinzelbach, K., Lindberg, S. I., Lott, L., & Panaro, A. V. (2025). Academic Freedom Index – Update 2025. Academic-Freedom-Index.net. V-Dem Intitute. https://academic-freedom-index.net/research/Academic_Freedom_Index_Update_2025.pdf

ACADEMIC FREEDOM INDEX, V-Dem Institute

AFI TIME SERIES — SIX COUNTRIES�

Kinzelbach, K., Lindberg, S. I., Lott, L., & Panaro, A. V. (2025). Academic Freedom Index

MECHANISMS �OF ACADEMIC REPRESSION

• There are social, legal, and institutional mechanisms through which academic freedom is curtailed.
• Legal reforms enabling political appointments/dismissals in universities (Kim Lane Scheppele, 2018).
• Budget constraints and bureaucratic targeting of critical research (Marta Bucholc, 2022) 🡪 Cutting state subsidies for public and private universities.
• Public delegitimization of critical scholars via propaganda (Kaja Gadowska & Anna Giza, 2025).
• Hard repressions and soft repressions 🡪 chilling effect, self-censorship.

MECHANISMS OF �ACADEMIC REPRESSION

• Academic freedom is being redefined, limited, and contested through legal reforms, managerial restructurings, funding mechanisms, and regulatory interventions that shape what kinds of knowledge can be produced, circulated, and publicly voiced.
• Rather than isolated national developments, the decline of academic freedom emerges as part of broader global processes: the politicization of universities, state-driven anti-intellectualism (Eric Fassin 2024), the rise of performance-based governance, the platformization and datafication of research, geopolitical competition for knowledge infrastructures, and growing inequalities in transnational science.
• These dynamics create new forms of vulnerability for scholars, institutions, and disciplines, narrowing the space for critical inquiry and reducing the autonomy essential for intellectual innovation.
• In this context, the social sciences are particularly exposed to these pressures: because of their inherently critical orientation, their public relevance, and their capacity to question dominant power structures, they often become direct targets of political interventions aimed at curbing their autonomy and marginalizing dissenting knowledge.

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CALL FOR ACTION

• Democratic erosion and academic freedom decline are tightly linked.
• Robust transnational and domestic scholarly efforts are vital to maintain academic freedom.
• Further research are needed on long-term cultural and institutional impacts.

RESISTANCE MOVEMENTS OVERVIEW

• Emergent forms of resilience and resistance: transnational academic networks, collective mobilizations, institutional safeguards, and solidarities that seek to protect the autonomy of research and the public role of universities.
• There is an urgent need of the international academic community to mobilise and strenghten cooperation to effectively oppose restrictions to academic freedom.
• - international scholarly solidarity networks
• - domestic academic protests and activism associations (informal and formal)
• These movements collectively assert the importance of academic freedom not only as an institutional concern but as a wider democratic imperative.

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EUROPEAN SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

• The European Sociological Association promotes a concept of democratic sociology that combines scientific rigour with civic engagement.
• We believe sociology has a public responsibility: to produce robust knowledge about inequalities, social change, and emerging risks, and to make this knowledge accessible and relevant to wider society.
• At the same time, sociology in Europe is also often strongly engaged or militant, especially in defending democratic values, social justice, and human rights. This engagement is visible in many of our research networks, which connect academic work with activism, advocacy, and policy debates. And also in national associations.
• Finally, we encourage a comparative and transnational perspective, recognising that many of the problems we study—such as the climate crisis, war, forced displacement, migration, and democratic backsliding—transcend national borders and require collaborative approaches and solidarity across countries.

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EUROPEAN SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

Contemporary wars — including those in Ukraine, the Middle East, and beyond — pose profound challenges for sociology, demanding our urgent attention.

They have led to mass displacement, deepened social divisions, and challenged our understanding of justice and human rights.

Sociological associations have a vital responsibility to document these impacts, support dialogue across borders, and advocate for policies rooted in peace, dignity, and social solidarity.

Europe has been confronted with the consequences of war and forced migration, as well as profound economic transformations that exacerbate inequalities and test social cohesion.

EUROPEAN SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

• International dialogue is essential for sociology today.

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• It allows us to situate local and national social phenomena within a broader global context, leading to richer and more nuanced understandings of shared challenges such as inequality, migration, war and forced displacement, the climate crisis, and democratic backsliding.

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• Stronger international collaboration reinforces our ability to protect academic freedom, express solidarity with colleagues working in difficult or restrictive environments, and share strategies to safeguard the autonomy and integrity of social science research.

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• Dialogue across regions and associations is critical to fostering innovation, as it encourages methodological exchange, comparative studies, and mutual learning.

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• Many forms of collaboration already exist—joint conferences, training activities, mobility opportunities, and co-authored publications.

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• We recognize the need to review and improve the conditions of access to these initiatives, especially regarding cost, funding availability, and practical barriers for early-career researchers and colleagues in under-resourced contexts.

EUROPEAN SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

To strengthen collaborations further, the ESA has been:

• Exploring ways to reduce financial and administrative barriers to participation in joint events, training programmes, and publishing opportunities. For example, providing fee waivers to the displaced scholars from Ukraine and Palestine. 
• Assessing how accessible existing activities are, including registration fees, funding mechanisms, and digital participation options.
• Promoting flexible hybrid formats to broaden participation and make international dialogue more inclusive and sustainable. As we could see on the executive conferences held online by ESA.
• Continuing to encourage collaborative publications and special issues, while ensuring that costs do not exclude scholars from lower-income institutions or countries.
• Promoting underrepresented communities, e.g. special thematic issues of ESA e-magazine The European Sociologist.

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EUROPEAN SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

Speaking with a collective voice on public issues strengthens the impact and credibility of the sociological community.

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The Declaration For Sociology by the ISA, endorsed by the European Sociological Association, is a powerful example of how international cooperation can amplify our influence on policy and defend the role of critical, independent research in society. Such unified action is essential in facing global challenges.

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I am convinced that by deepening these connections and improving access, we can amplify the impact of our discipline, build solidarity across our communities, and promote sociology as a field that is both scientifically rigorous and socially engaged.

A THRIVING COMMUNITY

ESA JOURNALS

• ESA Journals in Diamond Open Access with MIT Press:
• European Societies
• European Journal of Cultural and Political Sociology
• First issues May 2025
• Full paper history in open access

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SHARING KNOWLEDGE WORLDWIDE

The European Sociologist (TES)

• the e-magazine of the European Sociological Association fully available on-line
• #52 Sexualities, Queer And Trans Research in Troubled Times: Theory, Experience, Politics and Praxis
• #53 Academic Freedom
• Upcoming #54 War Studies
• Upcoming #56 AI & Society

38 RESEARCH NETWORKS VIBRANT HUBS OF SCHOLARSHIP

• Funded events 2024 – 2026:

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• 31 Midterm Conferences
• 1 Winter School
• 1 Summer School
• 2 Doctoral Schools
• 2 Books

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• Occurring across 17 countries

BUILDING BRIDGES ACROSS EUROPE

• The Council of National Associations (CNA) strengthens collaboration among European sociological communities.
• CNA Meeting: Challenges of Researching, Teaching, and Academic Freedom in Digital Times, 14^th May 2025, Coimbra, Portugal

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New collaborative projects launched.

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SUPPORTING EMERGING SCHOLARS

• The ESA PhD Summer School in Palermo, September 2025, has confirmed its place as a flagship event dedicated to fostering new generations of sociologists.

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• The next ESA PhD Summer School in Warsaw, August 2025, is expected to renew the commitment of ESA with its PhD students.

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