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no. 22_october 2025

On Education

editorial: activism in higher education

The 22nd issue of on_education explores controversies and problems related to activism in the context of higher education. This issue critically examines questions such as: the legitimacy and rationales of different forms of activism of academics and students, for instance in the context of recent campus protests, the limits of academic freedom, the role of academics and universities in fostering social change as well as the paradoxes and pitfalls of ideals of value-free science. In light of recent public controversies sparked by these and other questions, it seems that the social and political function attributed to higher education in democratic societies is undergoing a crisis, which forms the background for this issue of on_education.

Sally Haslanger

the pursuit of knowledge in a democracy: academic freedom and activism

The article explores current attacks on higher education in the United States, situating funding cuts, visa restrictions, and ideological interventions within a broader conservative project to weaken Enlightenment principles of freedom, equality, and public reason. It revisits the historical foundations of academic freedom and highlights the university’s dual role in producing reliable knowledge and fostering democratic citizenship. Against this backdrop, the text argues that safeguarding academic inquiry requires extending protections to all members of the academic community and raises the question of whether academics have not only the right but also a responsibility to engage in activism.

Christiane Thompson

‘something is wrong’ – on protest at universities

This article explores the complex relationship between protest and the university as both a site of knowledge production and a public sphere. Using recent examples, such as Harvard’s 2025 commencement and debates in Germany, it shows how protests are simultaneously disruptive and indispensable: they can strain institutional routines but also expose silenced histories and ignored injustices. Drawing on empirical research, the text analyzes student protest as a form of counter-speech that challenges academic practices and demands institutional reform, while also acknowledging the risks of polarization and violence in current conflicts. The article argues that protest, despite its contradictions, is integral to the university’s public role, complementing academic discourse by forcing attention to what is unspoken and unsettling established routines. Ultimately, it calls for nuanced analyses of how protest, conflict, and political intervention shape academic freedom and the future of the university.

Eric Guilyardi and Virginie Courtier-Orgogozo

keys and ethical guidelines for researchers to engage in public advocacy, without being regarded as an activist

Public advocacy, i.e. the normative public intervention by a researcher drawing authority from their scientific position, raises multiple questions about the fine line between legitimate engagement and perceived activism. Drawing on a CNRS Ethics Committee opinion published recently (COMETS 2023-44), we propose guidelines emphasizing freedom of choice, the explicit acknowledgment of values, and the maintenance of scientific rigor, transparency, and integrity. We argue that advocacy should remain an individual choice, and that researchers must take responsibility for the weight of their public statements, ensuring clarity about their role, expertise, and potential conflicts of interest. Ultimately, safeguarding both freedom of expression and public trust in science requires researchers and institutions to promote responsible advocacy without policing or suppressing it.

Francesca Peruzzo

activism as a form of caring: disabled students’ activism to refuse ableism in higher education institutions

Here I present some reflections from a project done at the onset of the pandemic when disabled students in the United Kingdom began to organise themselves in an umbrella organisation called ‘Disabled Students UK’ to fight against persistent marginalisation and endemic ableism in higher education. Disabled student officers, employed or volunteering in university student unions, describe to me and a colleague (Rille Raaper) their experiences and accounts of higher education, exposing the violence of neoliberal policies and the damage that its performative and economic aims were having on the disabled students’ population. While denouncing and actively fighting against ableism in institutional and individual practices, disabled students showed the importance of nurturing the relationship that exists between the individual and the community in constituting disability activism and disabled activists. Their activism lays the groundwork for a higher education system rooted in justice, care, and accessibility.

Miri Yemini

activism on academic campuses: a critical reflection

In contemporary discourse, the role of young people in shaping social and political landscapes has become increasingly pivotal. Across the Global North countries, a significant transformation is underway as liberal democracies find themselves tested by a surge in support for right-wing political factions (Elerian et al., 2025). These groups often advance nationalist and separatist ideologies, often promoting legislative measures that are anti-immigrant and restrictive towards minority rights. This shift not only challenges long-standing peaceful diplomatic relations built since the early post-World War II period but also questions the international cooperative spirit that flourished following the fall of the Berlin Wall. The multifaceted pressures exerted on both established and emerging democracies are rooted in a confluence of factors, including the economic disruptions attributable to globalization. These economic strains have created fertile ground for inequality, stemming from a neoliberal…

activism in higher education

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