ACA-IKY Seminar: "Internationalisation and academic freedom” on 27 April in Athens, Greece
This seminar will explore the relationship between populism, anti-intellectualism, ultra-conservative government and anti-elitist tendencies on the one hand and, on the other, higher education in general, and academic freedom and internationalisation in particular. Do populist governments (always) pursue anti-international policies, reduce funding and programmes for international mobility and projects, and do they (always) discourage universities and colleges to engage in internationalisation? This is one key question on the seminar agenda. Another one is how internationalisation agencies (like IKY) and higher education institutions in functioning democracies (should) respond to countries and universities which restrict academic freedom. Should they suspend cooperation with these countries and their higher education sector or should they reinforce it, as a sign of solidarity with the threatened academics and in the hope that continued cooperation will 'infect' the problematic countries with a 'democracy virus'?
The seminar is a co-production of ACA and its Greek member IKY. It will be held in beautiful spring-time Athens on 27 April 2018, with a reception on the previous evening. Registration will open in early March. More details about the event follow soon!