KNAW presents report on academic freedom in the Netherlands
Academic freedom is essential for good scientific practice, but there are limits: scientists and scholars from all domains must always seek a proper balance between academic freedom and independence on the one hand, and social responsibility on the other hand.
It is not always clear in the current debate on academic freedom what academic freedom actually entails. Therefore the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) has detailed the concept. The Report on Academic Freedom in the Netherlands (summary available in English) presented on 17 February 2021 provides an impetus for further exploration and discussion of this topic.
The report was written by the KNAW Committee for the Freedom of Scientific Pursuit chaired by Paul van der Heijden, Professor emeritus International Labour Law at Leiden University.