Dangerous Questions: Why Academic Freedom Matters

Challenge the limits to critical inquiry

Academic freedom is a fundamental value in modern higher education and research.

On this course, you’ll find out how we can use academic freedom to ask critical questions and contribute to a democratic society.

You’ll explore the importance of free and open research, and how it relates to core higher education and societal values.

You’ll understand why academic freedom is crucial for maintaining the quality and relevance of research in higher education.

You’ll learn about some of the current threats to academic freedom, and how this relates to the academic community worldwide.

This course is designed for students and staff in higher education, but it will be relevant for anyone interested in asking critical questions.

This course is designed for students and staff in higher education, but it will be relevant for anyone interested in asking critical questions.

• Explain the meaning of academic freedom and related values and how these values interrelate
• Identify challenges and threats to academic freedom in different contexts
• Assess how academic freedom can be promoted and defended
• Demonstrate the importance of academic freedom to the development of society
• Apply frameworks for responding to incidents that implicate academic freedom