Universität Hamburg Publishes Code of Academic Freedom

Photo: Universität Hamburg / Schell The Universität Hamburg Main Building Be it the disruption of controversial lectures or seminars, the refusal to engage in academic debate for political or religious reasons, or the exertion of politically motivated pressure on academics, there has recently been an increasing number of cases in which attempts have been made to curtail or challenge science and scholarship's constitutional right to academic freedom. For this reason, Universität Hamburg has formulated a code that defines a free space for academia and draws clear boundaries for restrictions of this free space. In doing this, the University joins the ranks of academic organizations that have addressed this issue and is one of the first higher education institutions to have incorporated a code of academic freedom in its mission statement. A commission comprising 14 individuals from various university-status groups at Universität Hamburg has formulated 11 core theses on behalf of the Academic Senate and the Executive University Board. The theses are not intended to be instructions; rather, they represent the University's self-affirmation of how it wants to and must shape the freedom guaranteed to it by the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany (Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland). At the same time, the code also signals to the outside world that the University considers this freedom essential and will continue to make use of it assertively. The 11 core theses deal with, inter alia, academic freedom as an individual and institutional right, free space for academia, boundaries of freedom, and responsibility for one's own actions.