What does academic freedom look like in practice, and who is at risk? Through interviews with researchers across Germany, the project group offered as part of the third semester of the Master of Public Policy (MPP) program coordinated by Prof Dr Mariana Llanos and Alina Ripplinger, uncovered threats to academic freedom — defined as things that prevent academics and universities from autonomously conducting research — and turned them into actionable recommendations for a real-life client.

Reflection: Our Research Process

The experience of participating in the “Academic Freedom at Risk” project group was one of the most enriching opportunities of our Master’s journey in Public Policy. As part of a course offered by the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy and supervised by Professor Dr. Mariana Llanos, the project provided the opportunity to combine academic learning with a practical, client-oriented approach, allowing us to engage directly with real-world challenges beyond the classroom and create something a client expects from our work in real life.

The project was developed for our institutional client, the German Institute for the Global and Area Studies (GIGA), represented by Dr. Sangeeta Mahapatra. Our goal was to investigate perceptions and experiences of academic freedom in Germany and to produce a set of best-practice guidelines for the social sciences. Over several months, our team carried out the full process, from reviewing the literature, defining a real research focus, developing an analytical framework, designing interview guidelines, conducting semi-structured interviews with academics, and analyzing all qualitative data for the guidelines production.

In total, we interviewed 26 academics studying the social sciences at research institutions across Germany, including professors, postdocs, and senior research fellows. We learned about their experiences with restrictions on academic freedom, including threats from within their institutions and from outside, which informed our recommendations that academics and universities can take to protect academic freedom. 

Being involved in each stage of the research process provided not only valuable insight into how academic knowledge is produced in practice, but to face patterns that were new for most of us. It also highlighted the complexity of translating theoretical concepts into empirical research and, ultimately, into real, concrete, and applicable recommendations for our client. An experience that required not only methodological rigor but also critical thinking, adaptability, and strong collaboration within the team.

Having the opportunity to work with a client as prominent as GIGA added a unique and particularly meaningful dimension to the project. It pushed us to think beyond academic requirements and consider the practical relevance of our work. The team was challenged to communicate our findings clearly and to ensure that our recommendations were both evidence-based and useful for an external audience, and the help from the supervisors was fundamental for this. This dynamic made the project feel both academically grounded and professionally relevant.

On a personal level, the project stood out as an opportunity to apply classroom theory in a real-world context. Concepts related to qualitative methods, data analysis, and public policy became much more tangible through hands-on experience. This not only deepened our understanding of the subject but also helped develop skills that are essential for future work in research and policy-oriented environments, and learn more about a German and international reality, also sharing this with other international students under such professional coordination provided by Prof Llanos and Ripplinger.

Finally, presenting our findings on January 26 at GIGA’s Berlin office marked a symbolic conclusion to this journey. It was the chance to share our work in a professional setting and to reflect on the broader role of academic research in informing institutional practice and policy debates.

Overall, the project reinforced the value of applied research and demonstrated how students can actively contribute to producing knowledge with real-world relevance, and how important it is to provide opportunities like this in theoretical phases of our careers.

What We Learned

Based on what we learned from our interviews, we propose practical and institutional measures to strengthen academic freedom and create a safer academic environment on three levels: first, recommendations for early-career academics; second, structural recommendations for universities; and third, recommendations for changes in German academic workplace culture.

For early-career researchers, we recommend connecting with peers both within and beyond their institutions. Peer networks reduce isolation and help distinguish systemic challenges from personal difficulties. For those facing threats to their ability to freely conduct research originating within their institution, such as from a supervisor, we recommend making use of formal support channels, such as staff councils, early-career representatives, or ombudspersons. In certain cases, seeking legal advice or support from NGOs offering free legal counseling may be necessary to ensure protection and fair treatment. 

On the institutional level, universities should create independent and confidential channels for reporting pressure, intimidation, or conflicts, such as ombudspersons or staff councils. These mechanisms should function outside direct supervisory hierarchies and ensure protection against retaliation. Beyond formal mechanisms, institutions should offer direct support to researchers who experience pressure, including legal guidance, counseling services, and institutional advocacy. Providing timely and concrete assistance helps ensure that individuals do not face challenges alone.

We also identified necessary changes to the broader German academic workplace culture that would create a freer environment. Importantly, universities should create more permanent positions and offer greater employment stability at earlier career stages. Structural reform is necessary in a system where a majority of academic staff hold temporary contracts. Also, over-reliance on third-party funding should be reduced to prevent unhealthy competition, job insecurity, and exploitation of academic labor. Stable and sustainable funding for research and teaching should be ensured.

Conclusion

Therefore, academic freedom is often discussed as a fundamental principle, but the project group revealed how fragile and unevenly experienced it can be in practice. The opportunity to engage directly with researchers across Germany enabled us to reflect not only on structural challenges but also on the everyday realities that shape academia.

Beyond the findings themselves, this experience highlights the importance of connecting academic research with real-world application. It shows how students can contribute meaningfully to ongoing policy and institutional debates, even at early stages of their careers.

To learn more about the challenges identified and the recommendations developed to promote academic freedom, we invite you to  explore the full report.

~ The views represented in this blog post do not necessarily represent those of the Brandt School. ~