Unsurprisingly, the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) is concerned about the consequences of Donald Trump’s attack on academia in the US. But academic freedom is also under threat in the Netherlands, according to a report released today.

Budget cuts

Due to the government’s far-reaching budget cuts, researchers are increasingly having to seek funding from other sources, such as private companies. Others are being commissioned to carry out studies by public sector clients. According to the report, this poses a growing threat to scientific independence, as researchers may feel pressured to align themselves with the interests of their patrons.

KNAW is also critical of the new Balanced Internationalisation Act (Wet Internationalisering in Balans), whose aim is to reduce the number of English-taught degree programmes. The organisation argues that universities will lose some of their autonomy if they’re not allowed to decide on the language of instruction within their own curricula.

The plan to systematically screen staff and students who could gain access to ‘sensitive information’ is also excessive, the report says. The government wants to start doing this to improve knowledge security, but KNAW agrees with the universities that the measure unduly infringes on academic freedom. 

Intimidation

Meanwhile, researchers also have to contend with “polarisation and the hardening of public discourse”. In an earlier report, KNAW noted that academics (particularly those who are young or female) are frequently intimidated and threatened, especially if they speak out on sensitive topics such as climate change, (de)colonisation and the war between Israel and Hamas. This harassment often takes place online.

The fear of intimidation can stifle free academic debate – another KNAW study shows that some researchers have engaged in self-censorship multiple times over the past three years.

The organisation’s latest report also proposes a solution: regulating social media. According to the authors, the government has a responsibility “to effectively combat harmful online content”.

Academic community

But social safety, and thus academic freedom, are not sufficiently guaranteed within the academic community either. Rigid hierarchies and performance pressure mean that both teachers and students feel restricted in what they can and can’t say.

That’s why KNAW is urging universities not to bar outside speakers from their campuses if there’s no good reason to do so, regardless of their social or political views. After all, there should be room for debate.

With regard to student protests, KNAW writes that universities should “not only provide society with scientific knowledge”, but that they also have a duty to facilitate dialogue, “especially when it comes to controversial issues, such as the war in Gaza”. One of the authors, Professor André Nollkaemper, previously made a case for sit-ins and lectures as a form of protest.

Legislation

The European Commission recently announced that the EU intends to introduce new legislation to protect academic freedom. KNAW is now calling for better legal protection as well.