Call for candidates for the Working Group on Academic Freedom and Human Rights

In April 2024, EASA members voted on a motion to create a Working Group on Human Rights and Academic Freedom: 761 members voted (37% turnout), with 708 (93%) voting in favour, 29 (3.8%) voting against, and 24 (3.1%) abstaining.

Following this overwhelmingly favourable vote of the EASA membership, we are opening the call for candidates for the Working Group on Academic Freedom and Human Rights.

The role

We seek four candidates for the role of member of the Working Group on Academic Freedom and Human Rights. The Working Group (WG) will be active for a minimum of one year from the start of its activity, with the possibility of extending its mandate in agreement with the Executive Committee and/or at the request of a minimum of twenty EASA members.

The WG will liaise with the Executive Committee of EASA, who will appoint a liaison person to this effect. The liaison will be a member of the WG. The WG will determine its own functioning rules autonomously (frequency of meetings, various necessary roles within the group, etc.).

The mandate

The WG will act as an advisory body to EASA's Executive Committee. Members will undertake tasks conducive to fulfilling an advisory role through:

  1. Examining the growing restrictions on academic freedom in Europe and within European universities.
  2. Formulating suggestions to address the restrictions on academic freedom in Europe and within European universities.
  3. Examining cases of academics, students and academic collectives who face reprisals and/or attacks for publicly sharing their anthropological analysis of colonialism and structural violence.
  4. Proposing a mechanism through which such cases can be addressed by EASA.
  5. Suggesting ways to address the situation of academics and students in Europe and the Middle East who speak up against state violence and censorship, and suffer punitive consequences for their actions.
  6. Drafting recommendations in response to these issues.

The requirements

Candidates are required to demonstrate their expertise in issues related to human rights and academic freedom, and to send their CV and a Statement of interest (maximum two pages) detailing what their motivation and expertise are, and how they plan to fulfill their role within the WG. Applications should be sent to EASA Secretary, Monica Heintz on .

The procedure

Applications are welcome until 22nd May 2024, 23:59 CET. So as to establish the WG as soon as possible, the Executive Committee will exert its mandate to act in the name of the membership and will select the best suited four members among the candidates on the basis of their statements of interest, as well as appoint one liaison person from within the Executive Committee. The WG will start its activity by 1st June at the latest and will prepare draft recommendations for discussion at the 2024 Members Forum.

Any questions regarding the applications should be addressed to .