Duration
08 Oct 2026 - 09 Oct 2026
Universities have long served as guardians of democratic values, human rights, and academic freedom. Today, however, these values face growing challenges. Democratic backsliding, political polarization, digital transformation, social media, artificial intelligence, restrictions and pressures on academic freedom increasingly shape the environment in which students and academics learn, teach, and conduct research.
While much of the debate has focused on institutions and senior academic leadership, far less attention has been given to the perspectives of the next generation of scholars. How do students, doctoral candidates, and early-career academics experience these developments? What opportunities and responsibilities do they see for themselves in defending academic freedom? How can universities, student organizations, and public institutions better support them?
This symposium brings together students, young academics, university leaders, policymakers, and international experts to explore these questions. Through keynote lectures, panel discussions, interactive workshops, and breakout sessions, participants will examine both the challenges and the opportunities for safeguarding academic freedom in contemporary higher education.
This symposium is the third in a series of activities on Academic Freedom, initiated by the Inter University Centre Dubrovnik (IUC). On October 10 2025 a first explorative workshop, focussing on the relevance of academic freedom for development, was organised at the premisses of the EU in Zagreb for an international group of diplomats and academics. (https://iuc.hr/news/academic-freedom-for-national-and-regional-development). On April 23 and 24 2026 a second workshop held in Dubrovnik was titled Academic Freedom in Context: Trends in Threats and Coping Practices ( https://iuc.hr/news/academic-freedom-is-globally-under-pressure). A larger conference on the broader topic will be organized from September 22 to 24 2027 at the IUC in Dubrovnik.
Programme:
DAY 1: Thursday, 8 October 2026
9.30 – 10.00 | Registration
10:00 - 10:20 Opening and Welcome
•Dr. Višeslav Raos, Vice-dean for Research, Infrastructure, and Finance (University of Zagreb)
•Prof. Ivan Šimonović, Director General, Inter-University Centre; Rapporteur UN Human Rights Committee
•Daciana Pop, President, European Students' Union (ESU)
10:20 - 10:55 Keynote 1 (+ Q&A)
How Academic Freedom Is Threatened – and How Resilience of Research Can Be Actively Strengthened
Dr. Christoph Kummel, Head of Division, Humanities and Social Sciences, DFG Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
10:55 - 11:30 Keynote 2 (+ Q&A)
Academic Freedom from a Students' Perspective
Daciana Pop, President European Students Union (ESU)
11:30 - 12:00 Coffee Break & Networking
12:00 - 13:00 Plenary Discussion
Academic Freedom, Students Rights and the Future of European Higher Education
Participants:
Daciana Pop, President, European Students' Union (ESU)
Dr. Gazela Pudar Draško, Director at the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of Belgrade
Dr. Christoph Kummel, Head of Division, Humanities and Social Sciences, DFG Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Prof. Enes Kulenović, Faculty of Political Science University of Zagreb
Moderator: Prof. Snježana Prijić-Samaržija, Vice Chair IUC Council; former Rector, University of Rijeka
13:00 - 14:00 Lunch
14:00 - 15:00 Closed Breakout Sessions Round I:
Sharing Experiences and Perspectives
Students and Young Academics Respond to Contemporary Challenges
Chair: Lana Par, former ESU president
15:00 - 15:10 Short Break
15:10 - 16:10 Closed Breakout Sessions Round II
World Cafe on Imagining the Future
Strengthening Academic Freedom / Developing Repertoires for Action
Chair: Lana Par, former ESU president
16:10 - 16:40 Coffee Break
16:40 - 17:40 Roundtable
From Discussion to Action. Bringing Student Perspectives and Activism to Policy
Student Perspectives, Action and Activisme (including Q&A)
•Branislav Bane Đorđević, Student Activist Students Against the Authoritarian Regimes (STAV)
•Doroteja Antić, Activist Informal Group STAV
•Gordan Kragić, President of the Student Council of the University of Zagreb
•Lana Par (Break out session rapporteur, former ESU president)
Recommendations and Policy (including Q&A)
•Presentation and discussion of recommendations emerging from the breakout sessions.
Moderator: Dr. Paul Stubbs, Emeritus The Institute of Economics Zagreb
17:40 - 18:00 Closing Reflections
Prof. Gunn Elisabeth Birkelund, Chair of the IUC Executive Committee, Professor
Emeritus University of Oslo, former Secretary General, The Norwegia Academy of
Science and Letters
20:00 | Symposium Dinner
DAY 2: Friday, 9 October 2026
9.00 – 9.30 | Registration
09:30 - 09:45 Opening and Welcome
•Dr. Višeslav Raos, Vice-dean for Research, Infrastructure, and Finance University of Zagreb
•Prof. Wieger Bakker, Deputy Director General, Inter-University Centre;
Professor emeritus Utrecht University School of Governance
•Daciana Pop, President, European Students' Union (ESU)
09:45 - 10:15 Keynote 3 (+ Q&A)
Safeguarding Academic Freedom with the New Generation of
Academics. Challenges and Opportunities for Students and Early-Career Scholars.
Tiago Nogueira, Steering Committee Member Global Student Forum (GSF)
10:15 - 10:45 Keynote 4 (+ Q&A) (online)
Academic Freedom: Ideals and Realities
Prof. Liviu Matei, Head of the King's School of Education, Communication &
Society (ESC), Kings College London, Vice-President Governing Council of
Magna Charta Universitatum
10:45 - 11:20 Keynote 5 (+ Q&A)
Universities as Places of Democratic Resistance
Dr. Gazela Pudar Draško, Director at the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of Belgrade
11:20 - 11:40 Coffee Break
11:40 – 12.30 Stakeholders Roundtable
The Value of Academic Freedom: From Principles to Policies and Practices
•Prof. Dr. Antonija Petričušić, Centre Miko Tripalo and the Croatian Womans Network
•Tiago Nogueira, Steering Committee Member Global Student Forum (GSF)
•Marin Capan, Board Member of the European Youth Forum
•Jovan Dražić, Student Activist, University of Novi Sad
•Anja Pitulić, Activist Informal Group STAV
Moderator: Prof. Dr. Wieger Bakker, Deputy Director General Inter-University
Centre; Professor emeritus Utrecht University School of Governance
12:30 - 13:10 Keynote 6 (+ Q&A) (online)
How universities can protect and promote academic freedom: the EUA
Principles and Guidelines
Dr. Monika Steinel, Dept. Secretary General European University Association (EUA)
13:10 – 13.20 Conclusion and Synthesis
Academic Freedom for the New Generation: Human Rights, Democracy and Responsibilities
Prof. Snježana Prijić-Samaržija, Vice Chair IUC Council; former Rector, University of Rijeka
13.20 – 13.30 Closing remarks by the symposium organizers.
Registration link: https://forms.gle/G1tfsscNpNbyLCmD6