Is academic freedom in Europe decided in Beijing? A conversation on the various threats emanating from (non-)state agents under control of the Chinese Communist Party, Prof. Dr. Andreas Fulda, University of Nottingham
The Academy for European Human Rights Protection, the Institute for International Peace and Security Law (both University of Cologne) and the Legal Clinic of the Human Rights Centre (Ghent University) have joined hands to organise the third lecture in the ‘Let’s talk about academic freedom’ lecture series. They are excited to host a conversation with Prof. Dr. Andreas Fulda on how China attempts to limit academic freedom in European universities.
16 May 2023 | 18:00 Uhr | Online (Registration required) | The event will be held in english
Description
Despite existing guarantees of academic freedom, academics face multiple threats from within German academia itself which are exacerbated on the international stage by the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) globalised censorship regime, dubious party-state funding, the weaponisation of informal Chinese social networks, and an unhealthy dependency among China scholars in the West on ‘official China’. Thus far, both states and universities have failed to identify and respond to these threats. Join us on the 16th of May for an interesting discussion on how the current situation can be remedied.
The conversation will be moderated by Dr. Cathérine Van De Graaf in her capacity as coach of the Legal Clinic on academic freedom of the Human Rights Centre (Ghent University). Together with Scholars at Risk, the Legal Clinic team is drafting a report in the context of the 4th cycle of the Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review of China.
Speaker
Prof. Dr. Andreas Fulda (Twitter) is a political scientist and China scholar with a keen interest in the philosophy of science. Over the past twenty years he has developed the four research strands democratization studies, EU-China relations, citizen diplomacy and academic freedom. His applied social and political science research bridges theory and practice and aims to inform British, German and European China policy.
Currently, Prof. Fulda is an Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham. Before joining the University in 2017, he worked as an Advisor at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development in Beijing from 2002 to 2004. Furthermore, he was an International Advisor at the China Association for NGO Cooperation until 2007. He does also have a link to the University of Cologne, from where he graduated with a BA Two-Subject Degree (Modern China Studies and Political Science). In addition, he graduated with an MA in Chinese Studies from SOAS University in London and a PhD from the Free University of Berlin.
Prof. Fulda has numerous publications regarding Chinese affairs. His most recent book titled “The Struggle for Democracy in Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Sharp Power and its Discontents” (Routledge, 2020) is widely praised by numerous prominent academics. Currently, he is working on a book with the working title "China and Germany. How Entanglement Undermines Freedom, Prosperity and Security". His expertise regarding Chinese politics is in high demand across governments and industries. Accordingly, he provides strategic policy advice to key decision makers, which include the UK Cabinet Office and the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, as well as senior politicians, civil servants and policymakers in Germany and Canada.