In your role as a PhD supervisor, how do you promote and protect your PhD candidates’ right to academic freedom, particularly when their research or education addresses politically or socially sensitive issues? And what is the meaning and importance of academic freedom more in general?
The EGSH explored these questions in a workshop for PhD supervisors on 14 April 2026. The workshop began with a presentation by Prof. Dr. Irene van Staveren (ISS) on the general principle of academic freedom, followed by a presentation by Dr. Jeff Handmaker (also from ISS) on academic freedom in relation to discussions about Palestine.
The main takeaways can be summarised as follows:
1. Academic freedom is essential but vulnerable
Academic freedom is a cornerstone of scientific integrity, not a luxury. Supervisors should defend it as a matter of principle. Yet academic freedom in the Netherlands is facing growing pressure from a range of institutional, political, and societal actors.
2. New policy is needed to better protect academic freedom
Participants noted that academic freedom currently functions more as a norm than as a clearly enforceable right, leaving uncertainty about how it should be protected when disputes arise.
3. The case of Palestine illustrates how academic freedom is under threat
Various lobbies seek to constrain criticism of Israel. Universities should resist such pressures and protect the freedom of scholars to engage in critical scholarship and protest contemptable colonial policy.
A more detailed report of the findings from the workshop can be found here.
