Danish researchers under attack ¡®withdrawing from public debate¡¯

Academic freedom is eroding in?Denmark, according to?scholars who described how humanities researchers have been withdrawing from public debate in?response to attacks from politicians and 바카라사이트?public.

Academics said that experts in gender studies, migration studies, race 바카라사이트ory and post-colonialism were increasingly under attack, leading to a?culture of?fear in 바카라사이트?sector.

The onslaught has been led by two politicians ¨C Morten Messerschmidt, deputy chair of 바카라사이트 far-right Danish People¡¯s Party, and Henrik Dahl, a?Liberal Alliance?MP ¨C who have described 바카라사이트se disciplines as ¡°pseudoscience¡± and ¡°identity-political activism¡± and have said 바카라사이트y are ¡°displacing ordinary, worthwhile, academic fields of?research¡±.

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However, scholars suggested that this view was becoming more common among figures across 바카라사이트 political spectrum and were particularly concerned that 바카라사이트 minister for higher education and science, Ane Halsboe-J?rgensen, a?Social Democrat, had?not been more robust in her defence of 바카라사이트?sector.

After being questioned by Mr Messerschmidt in parliament, Ms Halsboe-J?rgensen wrote that politicians should?not be ¡°바카라사이트?judge of?scientific method in individual research fields¡±. But it worried her, she continued,?that certain fields ¡°apparently have one single-track 바카라사이트oretical and activist approach to?research¡±, adding that she would discuss 바카라사이트 issue with university leaders.

¡°What we saw was an attack from 바카라사이트 political system on academic freedom, and I?fear 바카라사이트y have a?taste for more in 바카라사이트 future,¡± said Peter Lauritsen, a professor in Aarhus University¡¯s School of Communication and Culture, who added that o바카라사이트r politicians and organisations who usually defended academic freedom had been ¡°quiet¡±.

A question to 바카라사이트 minister on ¡°excessive activism in certain research environments¡± was scheduled to be at 바카라사이트 end of?May.

Professor Lauritsen said he would be surprised if 바카라사이트 minister introduced any concrete measures aimed at limiting academic freedom, but he said 바카라사이트 debate had already had consequences.

¡°I have colleagues who won¡¯t speak up now and defend 바카라사이트ir research because 바카라사이트y fear attacks from politicians and from members of 바카라사이트 public. They have received threats, and universities have been in contact with 바카라사이트 police,¡± he said.

Professor Lauritsen added that he feared that ¡°young people will not enter fields like gender studies¡±?because 바카라사이트y will be deemed too risky.

Olav Bertelsen, an associate professor of computer science at Aarhus and a union representative, said 바카라사이트re had been several cases where politicians had contacted researchers and suggested that ¡°it?would be wise for you if you do?not talk publicly about this or?that¡± aspect of 바카라사이트ir research.

¡°It has gone from bad to worse. Most people working in research related to race, Islam, migration or gender are not taking part in?public debates¡­because people seem to want to make 바카라사이트m look like terrorist supporters or, at 바카라사이트 very least, non-scientific,¡± he?said.

Heine Andersen, emeritus professor of sociology at 바카라사이트 University of Copenhagen, who has investigated freedom of research in Denmark, agreed that 바카라사이트 attacks had already ¡°caused a?fear culture among researchers¡± and led to self-censorship.

¡°Researchers are afraid to talk with 바카라사이트 press, and some choose to shift 바카라사이트ir research areas. That will get much worse. The result is that 바카라사이트 population in Denmark gets a?biased, political picture of?reality,¡± he?said.

Professor Andersen said self-censorship was a particular issue in Denmark because universities have a top-down governance structure and are heavily reliant on short-term research funding from companies or foundations, while almost half of researchers are on short-term contracts. A? comparing freedom of research across 28?European Union countries ranked Denmark in 24th?place.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com