RESULT – Strengthening Comparative Research and Critical Thinking on Academic Freedom in the Americas
Consolidating research on academic freedom in the Americas has profound significance for advancing our understanding and ability to advocate for its defence and protection. Despite its critical importance for the advancement of human rights and democracy, this field remains under-researched, particularly in the face of escalating attacks on academic freedom in the context of growing authoritarianism around the world.
The need to foster research on academic freedom becomes more urgent when looking at the results of the 2023 Academic Freedom Index (AFi), which point to the deterioration of academic freedom worldwide and in the Americas. Examples of such deterioration are the erosion of university academic autonomy, the judicialization of academics, increasing online threats and harassment, the lack of protective measures, accompanied by a lack of adequate institutional response. Attacks against student organizations are also part of the struggle for academic freedom and an intersectional lens is important to understand attacks on academic freedom and to overcome them.
Considering the above regional and global context, five lines of research were proposed for the Call, indicative but not exclusive: Academic freedom and the strengthening of democracy, academic freedom and the pursuit of scientific development, academic freedom and technology, academic freedom and university autonomy and finally academic freedom and structural inequalities.
Based on this background, the Coalition for Academic Freedom in the Americas (CAFA) and the Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO) launched the present Call for the Strengthening of Comparative Research and Critical Thinking in the Framework of Academic Freedom in the Americas.
Seventy-one forms were opened, and 34 complete applications were finally received, which after the technical and formal review, were able to be qualitatively evaluated by the International Committee to consider the quality, relevance and coherence of the proposals in accordance with the Call for Proposals.
The evaluation process was carried out by an International Committee composed of 6 experts from different countries: Camilla Croso (Brazil), Rafael Ibarra Garza (Mexico), Isaac Nahon-Serfaty, (Venezuela/Canada), Lia Pinheiro Barbosa (Brazil), Juan Piovani (Argentina) and Laura Rovelli (Argentina).
Based on the evaluations received, the list of selected proposals is as follows:
|
Authors |
Institutional Filiation |
Country |
Title of the proposal |
|
Anny Ocoró Loango – María Camila Landazury – Clara Luisa Martins Brandão – ARBEY BUSTAMANTE – Jorge Enrique Garcia Rincón |
Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, Argentina – FLACSO – Argentina |
Argentina |
Academic freedom and struggles against structural inequalities in an intersectional perspective: The role of Afro-Latin American researchers associations |
|
Milena Pereira Fukuoka – Patricia Lima Pereira – Evelyn Mendoza Baez – Ever Enriquez – Magdalena Rivarola – Gustavo Setrini |
Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences, Paraguay – FLACSO Paraguay |
Paraguay |
Commercialization, Credentialism and Political Capture: a historical-comparative study of the barriers to the development of academic freedom and university autonomy in Paraguay |
|
Rodolfo Dynnik Asencios Lindo – Stephanie Hatsumi Gutierrez Otsu – Milagros Maria Badillo Palomino |
Institute of Peruvian Studies – IEP |
Peru |
Academic Freedom in Times of Inequality: A Laboratory of Reflection for Peru |
|
Juan Alfredo Tuesta Panduro – Vilda Rodríguez Méndez – Norbisley Fernández – Ognara García García – Yailé Caballero Mota |
National Agrarian University of the Selva Tingo Maria – UNAS |
Perú |
Inclusive editorial management of the open academic digital book in Latin America |
|
Mario Rolando Chocoj Méndez – Silvia Calderon – Clara María Josefina Arenas Bianchi de Recinos – Jorge Waldemar Urquiza Martínez – Rodolfo Rubio Pérez – María Estela Rivero Fuentes |
Association for the Advancement of Social Sciences – AVANCSO |
Guatemala |
Academic freedom and its relationship with democracy and inclusion in Central America: risks, vulnerability and resilience |
|
Fernando Romani Sales – Paula Aldana Lucero – Rosario Figari Layús – Maria Fernanda Silva Assis |
Faculty of Law of the University of São Paulo (USP) |
Brazil |
Academic freedom and scientific development in the context of climate and scientific denialism of ultra-directionalism in Brazil and Argentina |
|
Ana Lucia Ramazzini Morales – Marisa Gisele Ruiz Trejo – Tania Selene Mata Parducci |
Faculty of Social Sciences Campus III – UNACH – Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas |
Mexico |
Critical women thinkers and the crisis of academic freedom in Chiapas and Central America (1910-2024) |
