/adviesraden-en-commissies/committee-freedom-scientific-pursuit
The Committee for the Freedom of Scientific Pursuit concerns itself with the freedom that scientists and scholars require to do their work. It advocates for scientists and scholars abroad who have been imprisoned or have had their freedom restricted in some other manner owing to their work.
In consultation with networks at other academies, the committee prepares letters to the heads of governments worldwide responsible for threatening and oppressing scientists and scholars.
In recent years, the committee has also focused on issues related to the freedom of scientific pursuit in a broader sense. For example: do research funding bodies offer enough monetary and other support for curiosity-driven research? What are the risks associated with international cooperation in research? Are the perspectives represented in Dutch research diverse enough? And how can open debate be protected at universities?
In early 2021, the committee published a report that provided a more detailed definition of the term ‘academic freedom’ (Academic freedom in the Netherlands: A conceptual analysis and guideline- Dutch only). As a follow-up to this publication, the Academy is organising deeper discussions on various sub-topics, such as political and social engagement, online harassment of scientists, contract research and undesirable influence, academic cooperation with unfree countries, and other current areas of tension.
Committee members
- Roberta D'Alessandro
- André Nollkaemper (chair)
- Wim van Saarloos
- Maartje Schermer
- Jan Willem Duyvendak
Secretary
Committee Secretary CVW