Africa Coalition for Academic Freedom- ACAF

14/05/2026

Highlights of 10 Stories on Academic Fredom Violations Across Africa in First Quarter of 2026.

Scholars at Risk Mellon Foundation

14/05/2026

ACAF is holding a series of workshops across five (5) countries on developing the African principles for Academic Freedom.



Scholars at Risk

06/05/2026

ACAF Condemns Threats against Professor Vinodh Jaichand, Defends University Autonomy at National University of Lesotho

The Africa Coalition for Academic Freedom (ACAF) expresses its grave concern and unequivocal condemnation of the reported threats directed at Professor Vinodh Jaichand, a member of the Joint Committee of Council and Senate (JCCS) of the National University of Lesotho.

Read more
https://www.acafafrica.org/news-post.html =26003c28-82bd-4300-a862-c888b138a19d

05/05/2026

05/05/2026

Academic Freedom in China: Securitisation, Knowledge Traditions, and Global Implications

The King's College London Global Observatory on Academic Freedom (GOAF), is pleased to announce the next session of its Webinar Series “How Academic Freedom is Conceptualised, Codified, Enacted and Contested: Country and Region Health Checks”, focusing on China this time.

As a major global higher education system shaped by distinct political, intellectual, and institutional traditions, China offers a critical context for examining how is understood, practised, and contested under conditions of intensified state oversight and global interdependence.

Academic freedom in China is increasingly shaped by processes of securitisation, evolving knowledge traditions, and growing tensions. This webinar brings together a set of perspectives that examine how universities have come to be framed as sites of national security concern, how academic freedom is negotiated in practice within and beyond , and how Chinese intellectual traditions inform alternative understandings of the role of .

The session explores the of under Xi Jinping, examining how ideology and international engagement are framed as security concerns and how this shapes institutional practice. It also considers how scholars navigate constraints on academic freedom in collaborative , reflects on the perceived paradox of academic freedom in China through Confucian knowledge traditions, and situates these dynamics within wider global debates on academic freedom, resistance, and resilience.

Speakers
Benjamin Mulvey (University of Glasgwo) – The Securitisation of Chinese Universities in the Xi Jinping Era
Mette Halskov Hansen (University of Oslo) – Chinese ‘Academic Freedom’ in Practice
Qiang Zha (York University in Toronto) – The Paradox of Academic Freedom in China
Eva Pils (Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU)) – China’s Pressures on Global Academic Freedom

Registration:
📆12 May 2026 | 2:00–3:30 PM (UK time)
💻Online (MS Teams)
🔗Register here: https://lnkd.in/eSNdBAaF

The webinar is open to all. For any enquiries, please contact Dr Ahmad Akkad [email protected]; or [email protected].

01/05/2026

Happy Workers’ Day

30/04/2026

ACADEMIC FREEDOM PUBLICATIONS DATABASE (AFRICA)

🌍 A Central Knowledge Hub on Academic Freedom in Africa

🎯 Why It Matters
* Supports researchers, policymakers, and universities
* Provides reliable evidence for advocacy and reform
* Promotes university autonomy and academic integrity across Africa

🔎 What You’ll Find
* Country and regional reports
* Policy briefs and legal analyses
* Expert commentary and case studies

🌐 Access the Database
👉 https://www.acafafrica.org/publications.html

30/04/2026

Academic Freedom Forum 2026: Advancing Global Dialogue on Universities, , and Human Rights

The forum responds to growing global concerns, including increasing violations of and , democratic backsliding, and rising geopolitical and societal fragmentation.

Details:
📅 9–11 June 2026
📍Ruhr University Bochum
🎤“Truth Matters: Universities, Academic Freedom, and Democracy in a Fragmented World”

The forum also marks significant milestones, including 25 years of the Scholars at Risk Network and 10 years of University Without Borders, highlighting the importance of sustained in protecting academic freedom.

Read More: https://international.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/de/academic-freedom-forum

14/04/2026

REGISTER HERE
Individual membership forms:
https://forms.gle/sVe6bxFdCZHJi1o77

Institutional Partnership Form:
https://forms.gle/JhoZeigbihN3V2vh8

09/04/2026

Day 2 is underway!

This morning’s sessions focus on strengthening implementation of existing academic freedom principles, while advancing the drafting of regional principles for Africa and Asia.

It’s exciting to see how thought-provoking discussions are shaping context-specific frameworks aimed at promoting and protecting academic freedom globally.