Successful roundtable: theoretical perspectives on academic freedom
On 11 October, the roundtable entitled ‘Academic Freedom – Theoretical Perspectives’ took place at Leiden University's Academy Building. This event was organised as part of the Vidi research project entitled 'The EU fundamental right to 'freedom of the art and sciences': exploring the limits on the commercialisation of academia (AFITE)' led by Dr Vicky Kosta.
About the roundtable
The aim of the roundtable was to explore the various theoretical perspectives that might presuppose the scope and nature of freedom granted to academics, both descriptively and normatively. What is the definition of academic freedom? How can academics justify it? Does academic freedom imply a particular kind of responsibility, and if so, what kind of responsibility does it entail? The speakers included Dr Arie-Jan Kwak (Leiden University) and Professor Maria Kronfeldner (Central European University), with Professor Tarun Khaitan (London School of Economics) and Professor Jeroen de Ridder (VU Amsterdam) as discussants.
A chapter based on Professor Maria Kronfeldner’s presentation will feature in an upcoming edited volume resulting from work conducted as part of the AFITE project. The volume establishes the content of Article 13 (academic freedom) of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, its scope and its conceptual justification.
AFITE grant project
The roundtable was organised as part of the five-year Vidi research project funded by the Dutch government entitled ‘The EU fundamental right to ‘freedom of the art and sciences’: exploring the limits on the commercialisation of academia (AFITE)’, led by Dr Vicky Kosta. The project explores which limits Article 13 of the Charter may impose on the increasingly commercialised academic system. The workshop on the scope of Article 13 of the Charter forms part of the project's initial phase. The subsequent stages will examine the relationship between Article 13 CFR and commercialisation in theory and will assess concrete EU legislation, policies and national measures for compliance.