Academic Freedom Under Pressure?

Margrit Seckelmann • Lorenza Violini •

Cristina Fraenkel-Haeberle • Giada Ragone
Editors

Academic Freedom Under

Pressure?
A Comparative Perspective
Editors
Margrit Seckelmann Lorenza Violini
German Research Institute for Public University of Milan
Administration Milan, Italy
German University of Administrative
Sciences Speyer
Speyer, Germany

Cristina Fraenkel-Haeberle Giada Ragone

German Research Institute for Public University of Milan
Administration Milan, Italy
German University of Administrative
Sciences Speyer
Speyer, Germany

ISBN 978-3-030-77523-0 ISBN 978-3-030-77524-7 (eBook)

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77524-7

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Preface

The following essays spring from the research project “Academic Freedom Under
Pressure? New State and Social Challenges in a German-Italian Comparison”,
conducted in 2020 between the University of Milan La Statale and the German
University of Administrative Sciences Speyer. They are an interdisciplinary contri-
bution to comparative research in higher education.
The idea of publishing this book arose at two international meetings on academic
freedom held on 6th and 7th February 2020 in Speyer and on 24th and 25th
September 2020 (online) in Milan, where the many key points of academic freedom
were highlighted and analysed.
The editors thank the authors for their commitment to this volume, Helen Ampt
for revising the English, Giulia Formici for coordination, text formatting and edito-
rial requirements, the German Academic Exchange Service for funding the research
project, the Schulze-Fielitz Foundation for additional support and Springer Verlag
for publishing the volume.

Speyer, Germany Margrit Seckelmann

Milan, Italy Lorenza Violini
Speyer, Germany Cristina Fraenkel-Haeberle
Milan, Italy Giada Ragone
March 2021

v
Contents

Introduction: The Multiple Expressions of Academic Freedom . . . . . . . 1

Lorenza Violini, Cristina Fraenkel-Haeberle, Giada Ragone,
and Margrit Seckelmann

Part I Academic Freedom in Europe

Science and the European Dimension of Freedom of the Arts
and Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Gianmario Demuro
Freedom of Research and Academic Teaching in the European
Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Stephanie Schiedermair
Freedom of Scientific Research in the European Research Area:
Weaknesses and Strengths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Sabrina Tranquilli
Academic Freedom and Cross-Border Cooperation: Conceptual
Reflections and a Contextual Analysis in Relation to the South
Tyrol Alpine Borderland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Elisabeth Alber

Part II New Challenges

The State of Academic Freedom in Hungary: The Saga of the Central
European University and the Research Network of the Hungarian
Academy of Sciences in Light of National and European Guarantees
of Academic Freedom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Petra Lea Láncos

vii
viii Contents

The COVID-19 Pandemic as a Challenge for Academia and Academic

Freedom: An Italian Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Flaminia Aperio Bella
Academic Freedom and the Use of Native Languages (the Italian
“English-Only” Saga and Its Downsides) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Diana-Urania Galetta

Part III Threats to Freedom of Teaching and Research in the Light

of a “Governance by Numbers”
Academic Freedom, University Autonomy (Work in Progress)
and Striving Towards Accountability: An Italian Perspective . . . . . . . . . 119
Lorenza Violini
Evaluation, Projectification, Governance by Numbers and Their
Impact on Academic Research: The German Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Margrit Seckelmann
University Autonomy: Just One Step on the Long Road Ahead . . . . . . . 143
Alfredo Marra
Automated Decisions, Research Quality Assessment and Step-Based
Salary System: Potential Dangers for Academic Freedom in Italy . . . . . 153
Elena Buoso

Part IV The New Role of Universities and the Freedom of Science

and Teaching
Private Higher Education and Academic Freedom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Diana zu Hohenlohe
Open Access Publication and Academic Freedom in the Field of the
Social Sciences and Humanities from a Constitutional Law Perspective
in Italy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Irene Pellizzone
The Third Mission of Universities: Technology Transfer and its Impact
on Academic Freedom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Cristina Fraenkel-Haeberle
Do Ethics Commissions Promote or Endanger Academic Freedom? . . . . 199
Michael Fehling
Ethical Codes and Speech Restrictions: New Scenarios
and Constitutional Challenges to Freedom of Teaching at
University—The Italian Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Giada Ragone
Contents ix

Trigger Warnings and Academic Freedom: A Pedagogic

Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Francesco Magni
Autonomy and Interdependence: The Relationship of Experts
and Laypeople in Science from a Sociological Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Cristina Besio and Marco Jöstingmeier
Editors and Contributors

About the Editors

Cristina Fraenkel-Haeberle Coordinator of the European Administrative Space

Research Programme at the German Research Institute for Public Administration,
Speyer, Germany
Professor of Public Law, German University for Administrative Sciences, Speyer,
Germany
Giada Ragone Junior Research Fellow in Constitutional Law, Department of
Italian and Supranational Public Law, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
Margrit Seckelmann Executive Director, German Research Institute for Public
Administration, Speyer, Germany
Professor of Public Law, German University for Administrative Sciences, Speyer,
Germany
Lorenza Violini Full Professor of Constitutional Law, Department of Italian and
Supranational Public Law, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

Contributors

Elisabeth Alber Senior Researcher and Head of the Eurac Research Federal
Scholar in Residence Programme, Eurac Research Institute for Comparative Feder-
alism, Bolzano/Bozen, Italy
Flaminia Aperio Bella Assistant Professor of Administrative Law, Department of
Law, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
Cristina Besio Full Professor of Sociology, Institute for Social Sciences, Helmut
Schmidt University, Hamburg, Germany

xi
xii Editors and Contributors

Elena Buoso Associate Professor in Administrative Law, Department of Law,

University of Padua, Padua, Italy
Gianmario Demuro Full Professor in Constitutional Law, Department of Law,
University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
Michael Fehling Full Professor of Public and Comparative Law, Bucerius Law
School, Hamburg, Germany
Diana-Urania Galetta Full Professor of Administrative Law, Department of Ital-
ian and Supranational Public Law, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
Marco Jöstingmeier Research Assistant, Institute for Social Sciences, Helmut
Schmidt University, Hamburg, Germany
Petra Lea Láncos Associate Professor, Department of European Law, Pázmány
Péter Catholic University, Budapest, Hungary
Francesco Magni Assistant Professor of General and Social Pedagogy, Depart-
ment of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy
Alfredo Marra Full Professor of Administrative Law, Department of Law, Uni-
versity of Milan Bicocca, Milan, Italy
Stephanie Schiedermair Full Professor of European Law and Public International
Law, International Law Institute, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
Irene Pellizzone Associate Professor of Constitutional Law, Department of Italian
and Supranational Public Law, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
Sabrina Tranquilli Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Administrative Law, Depart-
ment of Political Sciences and Communication, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
Diana zu Hohenlohe Full Professor of Public Law and Public International Law,
Department of Law, Sigmund Freud Private University, Vienna, Austria
Abbreviations

AAUP American Association of University Professors

ABH Decision of the Hungarian Constitutional Court (Alkotmánybírósági
Hatarozatai)
AG Advocate General
AGCOM Authority for Communications Guarantees (Autorità per le garanzie
nelle comunicazioni)
AIFA Italian Pharmaceutical Agency (Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco)
ANVUR Italian National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and
Research Institutes (Agenzia Nazionale di Valutazione del Sistema
Universitario e della Ricerca)
AQ Austria Austrian Accreditation Authority (Agentur für Qualitätssicherung
und Akkreditierung Austria)
ARWU Academic Ranking of World Universities
ASN National Scientific Habilitation (Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale)
ASt Autonomy Statute
BGBl Federal Official Journal (Bundesgesetzblatt)
BVerfG Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht)
BVerfGE Judgments of the Federal Constitutional Court (Entscheidungen des
Bundesverfassungsgerichts)
BvR File number of a violation of fundamental rights complaint to the
Federal Constitutional Court (Aktenzeichen beim
Bundesverfassungsgericht)
CEU Central European University
CFR European Charter of Fundamental Rights
CiD Considering in Law (Considerato in Diritto)
CNR National Research Council (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche)
CoR Committee of the Regions
CRUI Conference of Italian University Rectors (Conferenza dei Rettori
delle Università Italiane)
D.M. Ministerial Decree (Decreto ministeriale)

xiii
xiv Abbreviations

D.R. Rectoral Decree (Decreto Rettorale)

DPCM Decree of the President of the Council of Ministers (Decreto del
Presidente del Consiglio dei Ministri)
ECJ European Court of Justice
ECHR European Convention on Human Rights
ECtHR European Court of Human Rights
EEA European Economic Area
EGTC European Grouping for Territorial Cooperation
ELKH Eötvös Loránd Research Network (Eötvös Loránd Kutatási Hálózat)
EMEPA Executive Master Euregio in European Public Administration
ENQA European Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education
ERA European Research Area
EUREGIO European Region
FFO Ordinary Financing Fund (Fondo di Finanziamento Ordinario)
FIRE Foundation for Individual Rights in Education
GATS General Agreement on Trade in Services
GDP Gross domestic product
GEV Groups of evaluating experts (Gruppi di Esperti della Valutazione)
GG Basic Law, German Constitution (Grundgesetz)
G.U. Official Journal (Gazzetta Ufficiale)
HEIs Higher education institutions
HRG University Framework Act (Hochschulrahmengesetz)
ICCPR International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
ICESCR International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
ICT Information and communication technologies
IFRC International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
ISTAT Italian National Institute of Statistics (Istituto Nazionale di Statistica)
ITU International Telecommunication Union
LERU League of European Research Universities
MCU Magna Charta Universitatum
MID Ministry for Technological Innovation and Digitization (Ministero
per l’innovazione tecnologica e la transizione digitale)
MTA Hungarian Academy of Sciences (Magyar Tudományos Akadémia)
MUR Ministry of Universities and Research (Ministero dell’Università e
della Ricerca)
NGO Non-governmental organizations
NSM New Steering Model (Neues Steuerungsmodell)
NUV Internal evaluation body (Nucleo di Valutazione)
OA Open access
OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
OJ Official Journal
OJS Open Journal System
OPALE Open Process Automation Library
PatG Patent Act (Patentgesetz)
Abbreviations xv

PhD Doctor of philosophy

R&D Research and development
R&I Research and innovation
S. Senate (Senato)
SMEs Small and medium enterprises
SSH Social sciences and humanities
STM Scientific, technical and medical
TAR Regional Administrative Court (Tribunale Amministrativo Regionale)
TEC Treaty establishing the European Community
TEU Treaty on European Union
TFEU Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union
UN United Nations
UNAIDS Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
UNDP United Nations Development Programme
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
UNICEF United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund
UNIMI University of Milan (Università degli Studi di Milano)
UrhG Copyright Act (Urheberrechtsgesetz)
VQR Research Quality Evaluation Procedure (Valutazione della Qualità
della Ricerca)
WHO World Health Organization
WTO World Trade Organization