Academic Freedom Under Threat, Research Resilience Strengthening Strategies Revealed

Germany’s research community is being warned that academic freedom is under escalating pressure—not only from direct hostility toward scientists, but also from broader attempts to reshape national research ecosystems. A position paper published by a DFG Senate working group argues that resilience must be built by researchers and research organizations themselves, while also coordinating with political and societal stakeholders.

The document frames the issue as a multi-layered risk landscape. Attacks may target individuals and their viewpoints, specific research fields, or entire institutions. Another tactic is to delegitimize academic work by casting researchers as malicious or by questioning the legitimacy of research methods and outcomes.

More consequential are strategies aimed at weakening public funding, gaining control over research agenda-setting, or destabilizing research capacity during geopolitical crises and wars. The authors cite examples from the United States and Hungary and reference the war in Ukraine, alongside incidents in Germany, including hostility toward virologists during the COVID-19 pandemic and political rhetoric associated with the AfD’s programme for the Saxony-Anhalt state election.

A central claim is that vulnerabilities in the research ecosystem can unintentionally increase attack surface. The paper notes that perceived self-censorship or “cancel culture” can be exploited rhetorically by opponents. It also points to scenarios where research appears to lack effective quality assurance, or where institutions seem insular—“fortress” dynamics that reduce transparency and external trust.

The analysis further highlights internal fragilities: overly optimistic assumptions about opponents’ rationality, insufficient solidarity within academia, and the misconception that research is apolitical and therefore should not defend itself. In Germany specifically, the authors identify dependency relationships and inappropriately short-term employment contracts as risk factors for individual researchers.

Despite these pressures, the paper emphasizes safeguards grounded in Germany’s Basic Law, where freedom of research and teaching is constitutionally protected. It also argues that research is embedded in the economy and society; because of its contribution to development and the trust it enjoys, attempts to undermine it are likely to meet resistance beyond academia.

To prevent escalation, the authors recommend strengthening cooperative networks among researchers and research organizations and forming durable alliances with business and civil society. They also call for expanded research into opponents’ programmes and strategies, including how academia interacts with politics and the public.

For scientific self-defense, the working group urges continuous reinforcement of academic self-governance and self-regulation. It advocates clearer distinctions between research-based knowledge and other knowledge claims, and between scientific findings and opinion—paired with communication that acknowledges uncertainty, limits of understanding, and the iterative nature of scientific progress.

At the institutional level, the paper calls for more resilient statutes and decision-making processes, noting that unanimity requirements can become a point of vulnerability. It concludes that research security and the protection of research infrastructures must be upgraded proactively.

In the event of concrete attacks, the authors suggest that institutions consider appropriate public protest, while building “mutual assistance” solidarity at both personal and organizational levels. They also point to constitutional protections as a basis for legal action when judicial remedies are effective.

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