Defending Academic Freedom

What can universities and academics do to protect academic freedom when it comes under political pressure? In a guest contribution for DIE ZEIT, Andrea Binder (Freie Universität Berlin) and Hanna Pfeifer (Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy, IFSH) discuss how academic institutions can prepare for political interference. Their article, Die Wissenschaft könnte sich gegen AfD-Angriffe wehren, was published in DIE ZEIT No. 38 on 3 September 2026 and online at ZEIT ONLINE.

The contribution draws on their work on academic freedom and exchanges with colleagues from countries including the United States, Serbia and Turkey. Looking at experiences from different political contexts, Andrea Binder and Hanna Pfeifer ask what universities and researchers in Germany can learn from them – and which structures need to be in place before academic freedom comes under sustained pressure.

A central theme is the importance of cooperation and solidarity. The article discusses networks between universities, alternative sources of research funding and cooperation beyond academia as possible ways of strengthening the ability of academic institutions to respond collectively. As Andrea Binder and Hanna Pfeifer write:

„Wenn es in Sachsen-Anhalt jetzt ernst wird, dann muss dieses Netzwerk handeln.“

The article builds on their work within Die Junge Akademie, including the project Proofing the Academy, which brings together international experiences with political pressure on academic institutions and considers what lessons can be drawn for the German academic system.

Read the article at ZEIT ONLINE