Afghanistan, Sept. 15 -- Academic freedom around the world has continued to deteriorate as governments increasingly use violence, legal measures, and political interference to silence scholars and tighten control over universities, according to a new report released on Tuesday by Scholars at Risk (SAR).
The report, Free to Think 2026, published on September 15 by the international academic freedom advocacy organization Scholars at Risk, documents 382 attacks on higher education communities across 59 countries and territories between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. It concludes that violent state repression and government overreach have become the leading drivers of the global decline in academic freedom.
Scholars at Risk said governments...