To protect the academic freedom

Maria Refors Legge has been awarded funds for a research project on academic freedom and its legal protection.

Maria Refors Legge, Doctor of Law in public law, has previously worked as a teacher at the Faculty of Law at Stockholm University, where she obtained her Ph.D. in 2021, and as an assistant professor of law at the Faculty of Law in Uppsala. Now she is back in Uppsala with project funding for a two-year postdoctoral position.

In the project namedAcademic Freedom, Scientific Ideals and the Legal Protection Against Discrimination and Degrading Treatment at Swedish Universities, Maria will analyse the Swedish legislation on academic freedom in light of how the public debate climate has become harsher and more polarised in Sweden and the rest of the world in recent years. People who participate in public debate and involve themselves in societal issues are exposed to hatred, threats, and harassment. This exposure affects many people in the public, like celebrities, journalists, and politicians, but it also affects “ordinary people”, like researchers and teachers. Examples of vulnerability have been reported for vaccine researchers, gender studies researchers, and immigration researchers. There are also examples of researchers reporting exposure to 'cancel culture' due to wording or references that their students perceived as offensive or discriminatory. The Intolerance and pressure to suppress ideas pose a particular threat to the academic profession.

This research initiative aims to provide a critical analysis of the role and situation of the academic profession today and the legal protection of academic freedom in the context of other societal interests and human rights. This research aims to further knowledge of the institutional safeguards and the limits of academic freedom in Sweden.

Maria Refors Legge will start the two-year project at the end of 2023 or beginning of 2024.