USI's commitment to academic freedom: Call for contributions - Truth Matters

"My own journey as a scholar at risk has revealed both the vulnerability and the resilience of academic freedom. Although much work remains to ensure these freedoms are protected everywhere, I remain hopeful that the global academic community will continue to defend them. Academic freedom is never guaranteed. It must be protected, practiced, and passed on to future generations. And for those of us who have lost it once, its value becomes clearer than ever" - Parwiz Mosamim, PhD researcher, Institute of Communication and Public Policy, USI

On the 25th anniversary of the Scholars at Risk network, which occurs in the academic year 2025–2026, member institutions have been invited to contribute with their own initiatives inspired by the principle “Truth Matters”. USI is a university with a strong international outlook, welcoming people from over 110 different countries among its students, faculty, researchers, and administrative staff. In this multicultural context, USI promotes cultural diversity and equal opportunities, while remaining attentive to current global challenges.

This important anniversary, and the proposed theme “Truth Matters”, represents an opportunity to reaffirm our community’s commitment to the defense of academic freedom. In this regard, an interview was conducted with Professor Jean-Patrick Villeneuve, who offers a highly significant and relevant analysis of the current context. He notes: "Truth is central, especially in a university environment. As academics we try to approach truth in many different ways, through different disciplines, different methodologies. Do we succeed? Is it even possible? These questions are valid, but we should always strive for it with the best intentions and all our energies. Doing the opposite would mean falsehoods, misinformation, fake news, and other deviant strategies. We are, unfortunately, starting to see where that leads us. I love the quote 'Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not to their own facts'. Universities are the place where we should identify, structure and make sense of these facts. As a scholar of public administration, this means developing the building blocks for ‘fact-based policy making’ and not, one hopes, policy-based fact making". This interview also marks the beginning of a series of open contributions dedicated to academic freedom as seen from various perspectives and fields of study and research, highlighting its interdisciplinary nature.

An open and dynamic space that reflects the value of dialogue and a plurality of perspectives.

The contributions in the series are available at the following links:

• Truth Requires Perspectives: A Reflection on Academic Freedom. By Leonardo Manna
• Truth Under Threat: A Scholar at Risk Reflects. By Parwiz Mosamim

The call for contributions remains open, with the aim of enriching this series over time through the involvement of the USI academic community. New contributions are accepted and will be published on an ongoing basis, as part as a shared commitment.

Call for contributions: how to participate

We warmly welcome new contributions from members of the USI academic community. Detailed information about the initiative and how to participate is available at the links below:

• "Truth Matters": Scholars at Risk anniversary and USI's pledge for academic freedom - Call for contributions.
• Scholars at Risk (SAR) Network

We are grateful to all authors for their valuable contributions and for supporting this important initiative!

The initiatives are featured on the dedicated Scholars at Risk website: https://www.scholarsatrisk.org/anniversary-pledge-for-academic-freedom/.