The Director of the UNESCO Chair, Dr. Alaa Shatnan, participated in the sixth Seminar in the series of Seminar organized by the UNESCO Chairs Network on Wednesday 28/06/2023, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (Paris time).

The Seminar was titled (Advancing Scientific and Academic Freedoms in Times of Complexity).

   The Seminar focused on scientific freedom and academic freedom as two essential components of the right to science and education. Without intellectual freedom and independence, the ability of scientists and educators to pursue scientific truth and the credibility of their work in society are greatly compromised. However, these freedoms remain underdeveloped and little studied.

In a context where science and technology develop with a frenetic pace and solutions to the world’s problems are increasingly science-driven, it is necessary to bring these dimensions of freedom of opinion and expression to the fore. What should be their meaning? Where should we set the boundaries? What could be effective ways to promote and defend them? These are core questions that should be re-examined in the light of the persistent demands for the transformation of science ecosystems, as well as of the academia.

The need to pay attention to these issues was underscored by UNESCO Member States at the 216th session of the Organization’s Executive Board as part of the call for a stronger implementation of the UNESCO Recommendation on Science and Scientific Researchers (2017).

The 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, celebrated throughout 2023, represents an excellent opportunity to highlight these issues.