Statement on Academic Freedom – The Rectors of the Dutch Universities (2025)
Without academic freedom, we might not have antibiotics, nor a deep understanding of human behaviour. Literary criticism, climate models, and ecological restoration would be severely limited; just like ethical reflection on artificial intelligence, justice, trauma, parenting, faith, and hope. All these domains depend on the freedom to think independently, to research, and to critically question. Academic freedom has created the space in which great thinkers, stubborn questioners, and dedicated researchers have been able to push the boundaries of knowledge. The progress we now consider self-evident - medical, technological, social, and scientific - was made possible because scientists had the freedom to ask questions and open up new worlds.
The university must therefore remain a place where everything can be researched, taught, and discussed. Where truth is not reduced to a one-dimensional ‘yes’ or ‘no’, but is recognized in all its complexity and nuance. Where confrontation does not lead to polarization, but to deeper understanding. The academy is not a place for dogma, but for inquiry, reflection, and at times, uncomfortable dialogue. That is where its societal value lies: universities must be places where opinions meet and clash. Only in this way do new insights emerge. This is difficult, and we see that the ability to do so is under pressure in many places. That is why it is so important that our students practice this, are exposed to diverse (well-founded) perspectives, and learn to engage in open, uncomfortable, yet enriching conversations.
But that freedom is currently under pressure
We see worldwide that governments are increasingly interfering with the content of education and research. In the United States, and also in some European countries, research topics are being banned, curricula rewritten, scientists censored, and institutions closed. In the Netherlands, too, there is a growing political tendency not only to question science as a system, but also to actively steer the content of scientific debate and education. Our declining position on the international Academic Freedom Index is a signal we must take extremely seriously.
Academic freedom is under pressure not only from outside but also from within. We see that protests and occupations on campuses sometimes harden, conversations polarize, and certain topics are avoided because they are deemed too sensitive. When the space for research, dialogue, and doubt is restricted by repression on one side or taboo on the other, the university loses its essence. But the academy is by its very nature the place where learning, reflecting, and improving are central. That is where the safeguarding of academic freedom belongs. Facilitating this well is no easy task, and it doesn’t always go smoothly.
Our students, our scholars, and the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) have raised concerns in opinion pieces and reports about the erosion of academic freedom. Today, we, the rectors of the universities of the Netherlands, speak out together.
We must stand for academic freedom
Not to shut ourselves off, but precisely to remain open. Not to assert our own views, but to keep the conversation going. That is why we reaffirm the core principles underpinning academic freedom:
Institutional autonomy
Universities must be able to operate independently, free from imposed political, ideological, or commercial influence. Institutional autonomy is not a privilege, but a necessary condition for reliability and academic freedom. The government plays an essential role in safeguarding that autonomy.
Freedom of thought, expression, and publication
Scholars must be free to think, speak, publish, research, and teach without fear of censorship or repression. Intellectual space is essential for the emergence of new ideas and for the resilience and progress of society. But academic freedom is not a blank check. While freedom of expression is a fundamental right for all individuals, academic freedom is bound by standards of scientific integrity, quality, and professionalism.
Respectful disagreement
We foster a culture in which differences of opinion can be explored, shared, and questioned, always in a respectful and scientifically grounded way. Debate must be free and always possible. When intimidation, obstruction, or violence threaten dialogue, we take action. Normative frameworks are necessary for scientific debate to proceed properly. We make these agreements together within our academic communities and we adhere to them.
A place for everyone
Everyone within the academic community should feel included and valued, regardless of background or belief. Minorities deserve special attention, because access to academic debate is not self-evident for all. Freedom requires equal access to the conversation.
Responsibility to society and science
Our knowledge and insights contribute to societal progress, the democratic rule of law, and public discourse. Universities are not ivory towers but public institutions rooted in connection with society. At the same time, we also bear responsibility for the quality and integrity of science itself, and for our professionalism as academic institutions. We are engaged with the world and reflect on it in freedom.
Independent knowledge development
Knowledge serves society best when it stems from a genuine drive to understand, not from the expectation that scientists merely deliver answers on demand. Critical curiosity plays a key role here, as does long-term, independent research; even when it challenges norms, is complex, or requires time.
Academic freedom is freedom in responsibility
We are keenly aware: academic freedom is not a carte blanche. It demands responsibility, towards students, colleagues, politicians, society, and science itself. Freedom without responsibility undermines itself. Universities are institutions with significant societal responsibilities, public funding, and a clear role in educating students within professional and organizational frameworks. Within this context, academic freedom is paramount. We are privileged to protect and promote the freedom of education and research and we must not take that freedom lightly.
This declaration is not an endpoint, but an invitation to action and dialogue about our shared responsibility. We recognize that we must continually reflect on academic freedom, sometimes defend it, and regularly define its limits. Not only through rules, but through the culture we create together. The spirit of inquiry must remain free within our walls. Because whoever determines what may be researched, and how, ultimately determines what may be said, believed, and known.
An invitation to a national dialogue
In the coming year, we will launch a broad dialogue on academic freedom, on and around all universities in the Netherlands. A conversation about the tensions currently manifesting on campus, about what the university stands for, about how we can continue to understand each other, about how we can shape academic freedom together and with respect. About connecting social engagement and academic sovereignty. About balancing the right to protest with ensuring a safe environment for all; between taking freedom and allowing space for others. These are all aspects of academic freedom that are currently under intense discussion.
We invite students, lecturers, researchers, administrators, politicians, and all other interested parties to participate. Not to simply agree, but to be able to disagree without stalling the conversation. To explore how we can endure clashing convictions and social pressure without sacrificing freedom. Academic freedom at the university is not only a right that must be defended - it is also a value to be actively lived and a duty of responsibility and professionalism. The state of the world shows us that academic freedom is vulnerable. If we wish to protect open academic debate as a society, we must also talk about the role each of us plays in defending that freedom.
Academic freedom is not the property of the university. It is a public value that sustains us all. Let us protect it together.
The Rectors of the Dutch Universities - 2025