Academic Freedom & Freedom of Expression Working Group Plan 2025

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The Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression Working Group has recently published its ambitious plan for 2025.

Last year the Working Group was restructured following an open call for participation across our staff community, building capacity and expertise to deliver a renewed remit. Four Workstreams and two Task and Finish groups were formed to take forward newly identified priorities.

Since then, good progress has been made, with Chairs for each Workstream appointed and Terms of Reference agreed collaboratively through a series of workshops to identify outcomes and actions. This work has been refined into a plan for 2025, which has now been agreed by University Executive.

Students are sat around a table engaged in discussion.

Convener of the Working Group, Professor David Smith, said:

“Our programme of work for 2025 sets out a clear commitment to support our University community, by working towards eight planned outcomes. These will be achieved through a series of priority activities, ranging from research to help us better understand our staff and students’ experience of academic freedom and freedom of expression, to delivering events which foster constructive forms of dialogue, debate, and disagreement.

“We plan to continue involving our community throughout this year and encourage as many people as possible to get involved and to help us continue developing the support that we provide to staff and students.”

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Read the Working Group Plan for 2025 by visiting the Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression website.

Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression website

Working Group Plan 2025

You can also find the latest updates on this work by visiting the Working Group blog, where you can also sign up to receive updates direct to your inbox.

Working Group blog