Declaration on Academic Freedom

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The purpose of the University is to seek, create and disseminate knowledge for the benefit of society and humanity.

Freedom of research, freedom of teaching and freedom of debate and expression are means that support this purpose.

These freedoms create the institutional autonomy of the University and the individual space of freedom for researchers and lecturers that the creation of new knowledge presupposes. These freedoms are historically conditioned and must not be taken for granted.

They emerged in the 18th and 19th centuries when universities by and large broke with the hold of the church and the state. With freedom came the responsibility to create and maintain autonomous, responsible and critical, formative and enlightening research and educational environments. 

Freedoms thus oblige. 

→ They oblige other institutions of society to respect the autonomy of universities as well as the freedom of researchers and lecturers. 

→ They oblige the management of the universities to protect the freedoms, to involve staff and students in fundamental issues of university activities and to make available necessary resources for free research, teaching, and debate.

→ Furthermore, they oblige researchers and lecturers to act in accordance with fundamental academic values such as curiosity, accountability, transparency and credibility. 
This involves seeking new knowledge (truth), communicating as correctly as possible (correctness), respecting academic dialogue (pluralism), and challenging dogmas and ideas (educating and enlightening).