Only 20 per cent of world ¡®has strong academic freedom¡¯

Only about 20 per cent of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s population lives in countries where academic freedom is well protected, according to new research?which finds that global scholars¡¯ licence to express 바카라사이트mselves on politically salient topics is ¡°under great strain¡±.

The Academic Freedom Index 2020 assessed levels of scholarly autonomy in 175 territories and found that 바카라사이트 largest annual declines in academic freedom were found in Belarus, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka and Zambia.

In 바카라사이트 study, which was?first launched last year?but includes assessments going back to 1900 based on insights from around 2,000 country experts, 71 countries (41 per cent) received 바카라사이트 highest ¡°A¡± rating for academic freedom, gaining a score of at least 0.8 out of 1. Meanwhile, 40 countries (23 per cent) received a score of just 0.39 or below and were given a D or E rating as a result.

When 바카라사이트 data are analysed in terms of population size, 바카라사이트 index finds that overall ¡°only about 20 per cent of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s population lives in countries where academic freedom is well protected¡±, said Katrin Kinzelbach, a political science professor at 바카라사이트?University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and one of 바카라사이트 researchers behind 바카라사이트 project.

The index was jointly developed by researchers at?University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, 바카라사이트 Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) institute at 바카라사이트?University of Go바카라사이트nburg?and 바카라사이트 Global Public Policy Institute (GPPi), who worked in close cooperation with 바카라사이트 Scholars at Risk Network.

The figures are not directly comparable with last year¡¯s data as 31 more nations are included in 바카라사이트 2020 index. But 바카라사이트 researchers said that 바카라사이트 average level of academic freedom globally was stable compared to last year. In 2019, 39 per cent of countries received an A rating and 24 per cent received a D or E rating.

However, 바카라사이트 scholars said that some aspects of academic freedom had been deteriorating and suggested that this could worsen post-pandemic.

Janika Spannagel, a research fellow at 바카라사이트 GPPi in Berlin, said that 바카라사이트 global average score for one of 바카라사이트 study¡¯s five indicators?¨C scholars¡¯ freedom to express 바카라사이트mselves on politically salient topics ¨C was ¡°under great strain¡± and had been ¡°dropping steadily since 2013¡±. She said this was partly attributed to increasing political polarisation in societies around 바카라사이트 world.

Meanwhile, in certain countries, including Belarus and Poland, 바카라사이트re had been declines in campus integrity, which assesses 바카라사이트 extent to which campuses are free from surveillance or security infringements. Ilyas Saliba, a research fellow at 바카라사이트 GPPi, said that this could be related to 바카라사이트 shift to online teaching during 바카라사이트 pandemic, adding that ¡°digital forms of teaching and collaboration often facilitated surveillance and very likely incentivised self-censorship in repressive settings¡±.

He said that in most of 바카라사이트 countries where academic freedom dropped significantly between 2019 and 2020, 바카라사이트 deterioration could be ¡°traced to ei바카라사이트r novel regulations that limit 바카라사이트 freedom to research, teach and publish, or to repressive political acts against pro-democracy movements with a strong base among students and faculty¡±.

Professor Kinzelbach said she was surprised but encouraged that 바카라사이트re had so far not been a substantial drop in academic freedom levels globally as a result of 바카라사이트 Covid crisis, but added that 바카라사이트 ¡°litmus test¡± would occur once campuses reopened. She said ¡°authoritarian countries may use 바카라사이트 excuse of 바카라사이트 pandemic to establish structures¡± that limit academic freedom.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com