Academic Freedom Still Lacking in Several SADC Countries
Clemence Manyukwe | 18 July 2024 | University World News
A study on academic freedom across the 16 member countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has concluded that no country in the region reaches the threshold of being fully free for scholars to exchange and communicate research ideas and findings.
A report titled Freedom in SADC Countries (2013 to 2023), which was compiled by the Zimbabwe-based non-governmental organisation Research and Advocacy Unit (RAU), said academic freedom is conventionally considered a crucial component of democracy, alongside a free news media. Universities and other higher education institutions, for instance, can challenge autocratic leaders, as students and academics are frequent critics of the state.
In its report, released recently, the organisation said the availability of large databases on democracy indicators allows comparisons of the democratic status of a country in ways that were previously very difficult….