Academic freedom, Institutional Autonomy and Social Responsibility

Academic Freedom and University Autonomy are essential prerequisites for universities to meet their responsibilities to society and, at the same time, a means of strengthening the principles of pluralism, tolerance and academic solidarity between institutions of higher learning and between individual scholars and students. In 1997, UNESCO asked IAU to lead an initiative that aimed to protect these principles on an international level. In this context, the IAU statement advocates the elaboration of a new Social Contract between university and society and calls for a broadly recognised International Charter of mutual 6 IAU SPEAKS OUT rights and obligations, including adequate monitoring mechanisms for its application. The Statement was formally adopted by the IAU 11th General Conference in Durban, South Africa in 2000.

Read the policy statement “Academic freedom, Institutional Autonomy and Social Responsibility” here.

Lire la déclaration de politique générale « Liberté académique, autonomie institutionnelle et responsabilité sociale » ici.