Academic freedom in fraught times

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Is the UvA a bastion of wokeness? Does the VU let both its Palestinian and its Jewish students down? Were the blockades of Amsterdam University College an expression of academic freedom? Tonight, we will discuss the liberties and limits of what you can say and do at the universities of Amsterdam.
Is the UvA a bastion of wokeness? Does the VU let both its Palestinian and its Jewish students down? Were the blockades of Amsterdam University College an expression of academic freedom? Tonight, we will discuss the liberties and limits of what you can say and do at the universities of Amsterdam.
Academic freedom is essential for scientific research. However, unlike freedom of expression, academic freedom is not an individual civil right but a collective and professional liberty. In other words, you cannot say anything you want because you are part of an academic community with norms and standards. But what if you disagree with those standards? What can you say about Israel and Gaza? About trans identity and refugees? And has the financial intertwinement with big companies an effect on academic freedom?
Sprekers
Sprekers

Younes Saramifar is an interdisciplinary scholar who explores the concept of inhumanities, by looking at violence and transgressions that arise when objects, bodies, and ideas are taken out of their contexts. As an outspoken academic, he sends a trigger warning to his students for his decolonial approach, stated that he views Israël as an apartheid state and that the West finds its origins in colonial plundering, genocide and oppression. This year, his statement came under scrutiny by some students and the VU board.
Younes Saramifar
Jelle van Baardewijk is an empirical philosopher researching the market, government and morality and teaches courses on ethical philosophy to business students. He is also a presenter on the YouTube Channel De Nieuwe Wereld, which discusses societal issues from a perspective that challenges mainstream views. Academically, he emphasizes similar values in advocating for the protection of free speech at universities and taking a critical stance on academic activism.
Jelle van Baardewijk
Petra Verdonk is an associate professor of medicine and of ethics, law and medical humanities at the University of Amsterdam. She co-founded the Nederlandse Vereniging Gender en Gezondheid and is an active member of Extinction Rebellion. She is critical of the university’s “tactical retreat into the ivory tower” when academia does not want to be “held responsible for her influence on society.” Her work both as a researcher and lecturer is therefore marked by her mission that knowledge should be used to improve the world we live in.
Petra Verdonk
In honour of the 750th anniversary of Amsterdam, we reflect on our understanding of freedom and what it means to us. Freedom is inextricably linked to Amsterdam; in the 17th century, the city already served as a safe haven for freethinkers and dissenters. In collaboration with the Municipality of Amsterdam, BIMHUIS, and Podium Mozaïek, De Balie is organizing the Vrijdenkersfestival for the fifth consecutive time. Between October 31 and November 3, various programs will be presented exploring this theme through debates, theater, and other art forms.
Twenty years ago, Theo van Gogh was murdered. His last words were, ‘Mercy, mercy. Can’t we talk about it?’ Although the Netherlands was deeply divided after the murder, Van Gogh’s plea can be seen as a call to action. How do you keep the conversation going in a country where people seem to be finished talking with each other?