Index tracks global academic freedom

Report meant to challenge traditional university rankings that lack focus on scientific liberty

The universities of Erlangen and Gothenburg have teamed up with a think tank to publish the Academic Freedom Index, which, they say, is the first of its kind.

The index was developed in collaboration with Berlin-based think tank Global Public Policy Institute (GPPI) and the non-governmental organisation Scholars at Risk. According to its creators, it brings together 110,000 data points, including assessments by 1,810 scientists and factors such as the protection of academic freedom in the constitutions of the countries surveyed.