WWoolność akademicka. Czy nadal ma znaczeenie? Konffererencja międzynarodowa AAccademic Freedom. Does it still maaer? International conffererence Academic Freedom. Does it still matter? Wolność akademicka. Czy nadal ma znaczenie? Villa Decius, Krakow 19-20 October 2017 1 Academic Freedom. Does it still matter? Villa Decius, Krakow 19-20 October 2017 We dedicate this event to Prof. Felix Kaputu from the Democratic Republic of Congo, 10 years in exile and recently hosted by the Villa Decius Association, and to the Scholars at Risk Network members, and especially Polish universities who protect scholars and promote the freedom to think, question and share ideas. The foundation for academic freedom was laid by the medieval European universities. Protected by papal bulls and royal charters, the universities became legally self-governing institutions with the freedom to organize their work and establish standards for teachers and students. Yet, this institutional independence and freedom to teach, study, and pursue knowledge have not always been welcome, and over centuries both universities and academics have frequently been the subject of public pressure and criticism. The modern concept of academic freedom has two meanings. First, based on a separation of powers, means the right of an institution to develop its own academic mission and priorities, to manage its own curriculum and academic affairs in an autonomic way. The second refers to the freedom of academics to teach also on controversial subjects without fear of reprisal. Academic freedom should be allowed to flourish because our future relies on the progress of thought, science and technology, and deep knowledge of societal challenges is of the utmost importance for the development of policy measures and for the well-being of any country and community. If academic discourse is muzzled by limiting free expression and by persecuting scientists, our entire future is at stake. ‘Vemos, ouvimos e lemos. Não podemos ignorar’ [We see, we hear, and we read. We cannot ignore]’ sang Sophia de Mello Breyner during the struggles for freedom in Portugal. Her words might become a motto for Scholars at Risk, an international network of academic institutions and individuals whose mission is to protect persecuted scholars and promote academic freedom. 2 PROGRAMME Thursday, October 19 Chair of the conference: Dominika Kasprowicz, Villa Decius Association 10:00 – 10:30 OPENING REMARKS Prof. Ryszard Tadeusiewicz, President of the Villa Decius Association Sinead O’Gorman, European Director of the Scholars at Risk Network Prof. Dorota Malec, Vice-Rector for the Jagiellonian University Development Prof. Janina Filek, Vice-Rector for Communication and Cooperation, Cracow University of Economics Prof. Anna Siwik, Vice-Rector for Student Affairs, AGH University of Science and Technology 10:30 – 11:00 KEYNOTE ADDRESS Prof. Terence Karran (University of Lincoln) 11:00 – 12:30 CHALLENGES TO ACADEMIC FREEDOM National and regional dimensions of current challenges to academic freedom and related values and their effects. Moderator: Łukasz Fyderek (Jagiellonian University) Prof. Aleksa Bjeliš (University of Zagreb) Prof. Michal Vašečka (Masaryk University) Prof. Tadeusz Gadacz (Collegium Civitas / Faculty of Humanities, AGH University of Science and Technology) 12:30 – 13:00 Coffee break 13:00 – 14:30 COURAGE TO THINK Testimonies and dialogues with refugee and at-risk scholars and students. Dialogue 1: Nour A. Munawar (Syria), University of Amsterdam Interview by Beata Kowalska (Jagiellonian University) Dialogue 2: Olga S. Hünler (Turkey), University of Bremen Interview by Krzysztof Machaczka (University of Economics) Dialogue 3: Monem A. Mahjoub (Libya), former World Center for Studies and Researches, currently ICORN scholar Interview by Veronica Pagnani (The Krakow Post) 14:30 – 15:45 Buffet meal 3 16:00 – 18:00 SPECIAL EVENT 14th Awards Gala of the Polish Prize of Sérgio Vieira de Mello granted in memory of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (2002-2003) With participation of the Jury of the Prize: Chancellery of the President of Poland, HE Ambassador of the Federative Republic of Brazil to Poland, HE Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to Poland, UNHCR Representative to Poland, Deputy Director of the Department of the United Nations and Human Rights, MFA, Polish Commissioner for Human Rights, Deputy President of the Institute of National Remembrance, the United States Consul General, President of the ZNAK Foundation, President of ZUE S.A., President of Kraków Airport, President of Malopolska Regional Development Agency, Initiators of the Prize and President of the Villa Decius Association. Chair of the Gala: Danuta Glondys, Villa Decius Association Simultaneous interpretation (English/Polish): Bartosz Krajka and Piotr Krasnowolski Friday, October 20 09:00 – 11:30 TOWARDS A SCHOLARS AT RISK POLAND SECTION Representatives from higher education institutions in Poland will join this meeting to discuss forming a Scholars at Risk (SAR) Poland Section. SAR Sections are groups of higher education institutions and associations that are nationally focused and organised specifically to coordinate participation in SAR activities. They are coordinated by a national steering committee or a secretariat in partnership with the SAR head office. Chair: Danuta Glondys Introduction: Sinead O’Gorman, European Director of Scholars at Risk Network Karen-Lise Knudsen, Chair of Scholars at Risk Norway Section Participants: Andrzej Bukowski, Jagiellonian University Halina Grzymała-Moszczyńska, Jagiellonian University Olga S. Hünler, University of Bremen Katarzyna Jurzak, Jagiellonian University Dominika Kasprowicz, Director of Villa Decius Association Beata Kowalska, Jagiellonian University Marta Kudelska, Jagiellonian University Marcin Lubaś, Jagiellonian University Monem A. Mahjoub, former World Center for Studies and Researches, ICORN Anna Małecka, Faculty of Humanities, AGH University of Science and Technology Nour A. Munawar, University of Amsterdam Marzena Piszczek, Cracow University of Economics Monika Sady, Cracow University of Economics Michal Vašečka, Masaryk University Viera Žúborová, Bratislava Policy Institute (Experts’ debate, English only) 14.00 -19.00 STUDY VISITS Conference concept by Danuta Glondys, Dominika Kasprowicz and Sinead O’Gorman 4 EXPERTS‘ BIOS Aleksa Bjeliš Professor of theoretical physics, served as the rector at the University of Zagreb from 2006 to 2014. From 2006 to 2015 he was a member, and from 2009 the Vice- president of the Council of Magna Charta Observatory. Łukasz Fyderek Lukasz Fyderek, PhD is a political scientist, focused on the politics of non-democratic states and international relations in the Middle East. He researches comparatively authoritarian states and countries under political transitions, mostly in the Western Asia and North Africa. He currently teaches at the Institute of Middle and Far East of Jagiellonian University in Krakow. Previously, he held the posts of a Visiting Scholar at the American University of Beirut and a Visiting Associate Professor at the Universiti Utara Malaysia. Lukasz Fyderek has published five books and does frequent media commentary on international politics. Tadeusz Gadacz Professor Tadeusz Gadacz, former student and long-term collaborator of Father Professor Józef Tischner. In 2003–07, president of the Committee on Philosophical Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN). Chairman of the Polish Ethics Society and president of the Board of the Father Professor Józef Tischner Hospice for Children. Former lecturer at the University of Warsaw, Polish Academy of Sciences, and the Pedagogical University of Kraków. Currently Professor at the Faculty of Humanities of the AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków. Recipient of the 2002 Prize of the Mayor of Warsaw Lech Kaczyński for the best academic teacher in Mazovia. In 2003 received the Nowe Książki prize for editing (with B. Milerski) a 10- volume work entitled Religia. Encyklopedia PWN. In 2008 elected by students the best lecturer in the history of Collegium Civitas. Author of over 200 scientific publications. Involved in 20th-century philosophy, philosophy of the human, condition of thinking, culture and civilisation transformations, mentoring, and the role and function of the university. Danuta Glondys PhD in Cultural Studies, MA in English philology and in political science. Director of the Department of Culture of Municipality of Kraków (1993–99). Later regional director of USAID in Poland. European Commission expert in the European City of Culture programme (2005, 2007–11). In 2001–16 director of the Villa Decius Association. Member of the Board of International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN, Norway) and the Programme Council of the Genshagen Foundation (Germany). Lecturer at the Jagiellonian University and the Faculty of Humanities of the AGH University of Science and Technology. 5 Olga S. Hünler Since August 2016, Olga S. Hünler has been a post-doc researcher at the Institute for Ethnology and Cultural Studies at the University of Bremen. She studied psychology for her bachelor and completed her master and doctorate studies in clinical psychology at Middle East Technical University, Turkey. During her Ph.D., she was a visiting researcher at the European Research Centre on Migration and Ethnic Relations for a year. After completing her Ph.D. thesis (in December 2007) on the psychological integration of newcomer Turkish immigrants in the Netherlands, she