The erosion of academic freedom; Pandor’s call for intellectual integrity in higher education

At the 3rd Higher Education Conference hosted by University South Africa (USAf), Dr Naledi Pandor, former Minister of International Relations and Cooperation in South Africa, explored what she called the commodification of higher education and its growing tendency to harm academic freedom. 

She traced the historical role of universities to the fight against apartheid in South Africa and contrasted that with challenges faced by institutions of higher learning today — in a world increasingly dictated by external — notably funding influences. Dr Pandor underlined the need for universities to reclaim their role as centres of free thought, critical debate, and intellectual independence.

Speaking to the topic The University, its Future and Academic Freedom – A Global Conversation, Dr Pandor (above) addressed the urgent challenges facing higher education institutions. Her issue was universities’ increasing dependency on external funding, which, she argued, was a serious threat to academic freedom. She termed this commercialisation, which puts the universities in a perilous situation where decisions about the curriculum, research, and even admission policies may be influenced, and sometimes dictated, by rich donors.

“I often warn institutions that inviting me might make them unpopular with wealthy funders. If you’re hoping to get money from them, you might want to invite someone else,” Pandor said. While she added that this has not resulted in fewer invitations, her point was that universities are often forced to choose between their principles and finances. “Many institutions rely on external funding, and often, when engaging with these funders, they neglect to put principles on the table. They sign on the dotted line, only to later find themselves constrained, unable to argue on principle.”

Stating that this dependence might be concretely exemplified in many ways, she mentioned the Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, who had used his office to dictate what universities could teach by threatening to withdraw funding if the subject matter, for instance, featured racial exclusion. “It’s shocking for a country so deeply affected by racism to now suppress academic reflection on the subject,” Pandor noted. For her, this represents a “horrendous threat to academic freedom,” and universities must resist such attempts at limiting their intellectual liberties.

Pandor then pointed out what she called a disturbing and rising trend of silence on critical issues. 

“Just five years ago, academics and administrators were leading protests for fee-free education. Now, those same academics are nervously suppressing protests in support of Palestine,” observed Pandor. She said she wondered how such individuals, who claim to be the custodians of academic freedom, managed to keep silent about the murder of Palestinian academics, the bombing of universities, and the destruction of sites of cultural and academic heritage.

The senior politician also situated the suppression of academic freedom in wider geopolitical dynamics – positing that academic institutions in the Global South are not shielded from the might of powerful nations. She cautioned against reliance on domestic and international funders that could distort the purpose of universities, leading to the manipulation of the meaning of academic freedom to “suit the circumstance,” and to avoid offending powerful stakeholders. “Will it be academic freedom only when it does not offend billionaire donors?” she asked, pointing out that true academic freedom cannot be sacrificed at the altar of kowtowing for financial gain.

“Our vice chancellors hold a vital leadership role. They should be shaping the character and nature of higher education. But, like some of our political leaders, I wonder if they are up to the task. Leadership is what we need and what is missing today,” she said. Pandor emphasised that these leaders must be at the forefront of protecting academic freedom and using universities as active platforms for animated debates and discussions to address societal challenges.

She lamented the absence of South African and other African universities from serious discussions on pressing socio-political issues. Citing universities in conflict and peace-starved zones, she asked how South African universities contributed to discussions on these critical matters. “How many of our universities in South Africa have meaningful links with the African Union’s development programmes or universities in conflict zones? How many host seminars on peace and conflict resolution?” 

Her solution to the current higher education crisis lay in reaffirming academic freedom as a cornerstone of democracy, peace, and development. She said universities needed to reclaim their place as “centres of rigorous, informed debates, vibrant spaces for dialogue and the exchange of ideas”. This re-imagining of academic freedom, said Pandor, was crucial not only for the future of South Africa but for the Global South in its entirety.

“We must reject the idea that the Global South is weak and unable to have an impact. The South can be powerful, but it depends on intellectuals—on you—to convince others that we can achieve more,” she said.

While emphasising universities’ fundamental role of stimulating critical thought and advancing social development, Pandor cautioned that unless leaders resist pressures to commodify higher education and erode academic freedom, universities risk losing their potential to operate as independent centres of cognition and debate.  In her own words: “There is still time to reverse this decay—not only regarding Palestine but on all issues related to academic freedom.” 

According to her, the future of higher learning rests in the hands of those who can stand up and fight for principles, even at a cost.

Mduduzi Mbiza is a contract writer for Universities South Africa.