Academic freedom in universities discussed

Islamabad

Speakers at a panel discussion on ‘Academic Freedom in Pakistani Universities’ exhorted the need for freedom on campuses to debate new ideas and produce diverse knowledge at the Social Sciences Expo 2016 held at the Pak-China Friendship Centre here on Thursday.

The panellists at the session included Dr. Ajmal Khan, Dr. Najma Najam, Dr. Zarina Salamat, Dr. Sayed Wiqar Ali Shah, Dr. Nazir Mehmood and Zafarullah Khan.  The speakers highlighted the shrinking spaces for democratic debates and research on regional histories. The sad situation, the speakers said, is not only the result of state policies rather now many threats come from non-state actors. 

The panellists said that the question of academic freedom is directly linked to overall societal freedoms. 

Later, a 'Resolution on Academic Freedom' was adopted. Its text says:

Resolved that whereas academic freedom at universities and institutions dedicated to research is recognised as a matter of fundamental importance for study, for research, for inquiry and for discussion-particularly in the social sciences and in subjects classified in the domain of the humanities; and whereas the curtailment of this freedom, and the more so of its denial, undermines the basic factors that enable an inquiring mind to make its search significant, its findings useful and the trail blazed by it continually enriching;

and whereas the very need in 2016 to raise discussion on premises that have long been accepted as undeniable and are always followed wherever scholarship is of quality, bring to light the condition of scholars who in their earnest endeavours are beset with uncertainty, fear and denial- factors that strike at the foundations of impartial and scientific methods of inquiry; and whereas academic freedom is often a contested issue, and seen to have limitations, the dimensions of which is the function of scholars to determine and to manage without damage to the quality of research; therefore, it is resolved as follows:

Freedom of the academic scholars to pursue  research for its own sake being a prerequisite for the production of knowledge, scholars must have freedom to investigate and to teach and to communicate ideas as these occur and disseminate facts as discovered-including those that are inconvenient to groups that hold different opinions or to those in positions of authority; and further that scholars must be enabled to do so without being targeted, and must not be subjected to hardship and never to repression.