Academic Freedom as a Global Issue. Story of an Awakening at the Intersection of Several Worlds

The defense and promotion of academic freedom is a global issue. Threats and attacks against it are on the rise, both in authoritarian regimes and in democracies. Drawing on his international experience (from France to North Africa, via Central Europe), French political scientist Jérôme Heurtaux recounts his belated ‘encounter’ with the issue of academic freedom. He describes the organisation of a symposium on this subject in Prague under the auspices of French diplomacy, revealing the contradictions of the French government. He reports on a conference in Tunisia at a time when academic freedom is once again threatened by the current regime. He recounts the publication of a book at a time when academic freedom has become a hot topic in France and Europe, because of the fight against the so-called ‘wokism’. He finally insists on the consequences the war in Gaza has in western countries in terms of academic freedom.