The European International Studies Association expresses its grave concern over the recent and escalating pressures, threats, ideologically motivated funding withdrawals, and violations of academic freedom across the United States. Academic freedom requires that research, teaching, and scholarly activities be free of interference from donors and political authorities, and to operate without institutional censorship or the threat thereof. These are foundational principles essential to the pursuit of knowledge, critical inquiry, and democratic discourse. The EISA therefore condemns the repeated attempts to suppress the autonomy and academic freedom of higher education institutions, scholars, and students based in the US, or those collaborating with US institutions.
As always, the EISA stands in solidarity with our colleagues whose work and academic freedom has been targeted. We call on academic institutions to resist these pressures, defend the autonomy of their faculties, and uphold their responsibilities to foster environments of critical inquiry and intellectual freedom.
