What is the state of academic freedom in lecture halls in the Netherlands?
In a new international publication, Daan F. Oostveen, Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Religion, writes about tensions surrounding freedom of expression at Dutch universities.
The book How to Develop Free Speech on Campus was written following a workshop at the University of Cambridge on religious diversity and the “secular” university. Topics discussed included cancel culture, academic freedom, and safe spaces, with a particular focus on the consequences for higher education. The publication focuses primarily on pedagogical challenges for the debate on freedom of expression in the lecture hall.
Daan Oostveen discusses the timing of his chapter, entitled Free speech and academic freedom in higher education in the Netherlands: pedagogical challenges:
“My contribution concerns the situation in the Netherlands. While writing this contribution, the Netherlands was confronted with the impact of the war in Gaza and Israel on the student community in the Netherlands, such as occupations and calls for an academic boycott of cooperation with Israeli institutions. This has intensified the debate on academic freedom. With this contribution, I hope to reflect the tensions in the debate on academic freedom in the Netherlands, but also to make constructive proposals to continue to defend open and critical debate in Dutch lecture halls.”
Publication:
Alison Frances Scott-Baumann (ed.): How to Develop Free Speech on Campus (Edwar Elgar Publishing, 2025, open access).
Read more: Review of the chapter by Daan Oostveen in Science Guide.