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© ©fotojournalist Robert Wengler + 45 20430656 - robert@wengler.dk - www.wengler.dk

Will academic freedom be a relic of the past? DIAS zeroes in on the state of research in 2025 with this year's Honorary Doctors

How can we safeguard the integrity of research when freedom of expression, responsibility, and innovation intersect? Join us when the University of Southern Denmark's 2025 Honorary Doctors debate this topic on 30 October 2025.

In a time of growing political polarisation and intensified competition for research funding, the debate on academic freedom is more pressing than ever.

The Danish Institute for Advanced Study (DIAS)  invites you to a timely panel discussion featuring SDU’s 2025 honorary doctors: “Academic Freedom in Flux: Navigating Research, Responsibility, and Public Trust in Transformative Times”.

The discussion will address current shifts in the European research landscape, where universities increasingly face the challenge of balancing academic freedom with demands for measurable impact and innovation. At the same time, individual researchers encounter growing resistance when their findings challenge prevailing public opinions.

Together with the honorary doctors, five leading international scholars, we shine a light on how universities can and should stand guard over academic freedom in a time when research is challenged by external demands, critical voices in public debate, and the internal dilemmas these pressures create. 

Topics to be addressed include: 

  • The boundary between freedom of speech and academic freedom
  • How researchers navigate environments focused on output and societal impact
  • How universities should respond when research provokes public debate or controversHow to ensure a free and ethically grounded academic dialogue

The panel will be moderated by Professor Christine Stabell Benn (Department of Clinical Research) and Assistant Professor Julius Koschnick (Department of Economics).

Date and venue

Thursday, 30 October 2025, 15:00–16:30. Reception to follow. 

DIAS Auditorium, University of Southern Denmark
Fioniavej 34, 5230 Odense M

Registration is required - click to enter registration page

Contact

Malou Cecilie Frydendahl Julskjær
Communications Officer at the Danish Institute for Advanced Study (DIAS)
majul@sdu.dk

The University of Southern Denmark’s 2025 Honorary Doctors

  • Professor of Economics, Stanford University, acknowledged for his work in immigration, inequality, and economic history.

    Faculty of Business and Social Sciences

  • Professor of History, University of Wisconsin–Madison, acknowledged for his work in race, citizenship, and Indigenous relations.

    Faculty of Humanities

  • Professor and Director, Centre for Online Health, University of Queensland, acknowledged for his work in telemedicine and digital health.

    Faculty of Health Sciences

  • Professor of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, acknowledged for his work in supramolecular chemistry and cancer treatment.

    Faculty of Science

  • Professor of Entrepreneurship, Universität Stuttgart, acknowledged for his work in innovation, digitalisation, and startup ecosystems.

    Faculty of Engineering 


 

Sign up for the event

This event has limited seating.

Go to registration page

Editing was completed: 25.09.2025