On 15 October 2025, the Committee for Academic Freedom will host a landmark one-day conference aboard HMS President, a historic venue on the Thames. Bringing together leading academics from Britain, the US and continental Europe, the conference will consider how to defend academic freedom against censorship, polarisation, and ideological conformity.
Navigating Academic Freedom will consist of four high-level panels plus a keynote address by Director for Freedom of Speech at the Office for Students Prof Arif Ahmed, The day will conclude with a drinks and canapés reception overlooking the Thames.
Schedule
The conference will run from 9:30 am to 6 pm, followed by closing remarks and a reception with drinks and refreshments. See the following page for synopses and lists of speakers and chairs for each panel.
8:30 am – 9:30 am
Arrivals, tea and coffee
9:30 am – 9:40 am
Opening remarks by Jonathan Platt (event manager of the Committee for Academic Freedom)
9:40 am –11:00 am
Panel discussion: “Battlegrounds of Knowledge: Threats to Academic Freedom in the West”
Confirmed speakers: Nadine Strossen, Toby Young, Jacob Mchangama, Ulrike Guérot
Chair: David Goodhart
In this panel, experts from North America, the EU, and the UK will explore the growing political pressures on academic institutions and the erosion of academic freedom across Western democracies.
11:00 am – 11:25 am
Tea and coffee break
11:25 am – 12:45 pm
Panel discussion: “Censorship in the Sciences: Free Inquiry Under Pressure”
Confirmed speakers: Richard Dawkins, Carl Heneghan, Alice Sullivan, Anna Krylov
Chair: Abhishek Saha
This panel will explore threats to academic freedom in the natural and social sciences. Panellists will explore taboo topics – such as sex and gender, Covid-19, and group differences – and discuss the impact of funding pressures, peer review gatekeeping, and the politicisation of science through EDI and critical social justice.
12:45 pm – 2 pm
Lunch
2 pm – 3 pm
Keynote speech by Arif Ahmed: “Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom: Driving Change Through the Sector.”
3 pm – 4:20 pm
Panel discussion: “Triumph of the Therapeutic: Is ‘Well-being’ a Threat to Academic Freedom?”
Confirmed speakers: Theodore Dalrymple, Frank Furedi, Simon Wessely, Pamela Paresky
Chair: Mark Salter
This panel will examine the growing influence of “wellbeing culture” on academic life. Are efforts to shield students from psychological distress fostering a more compassionate learning environment or are they stifling debate and intellectual challenge? How did the terms “safety”, “harm” and “trauma” come to be used as rhetorical devices for shutting down discussion?
4:20 pm – 4:40 pm
Tea and coffee break
4:40 pm – 6:00 pm
Panel discussion: “Disagreeing Well: Civility and Its Limits”
Confirmed speakers: Kathleen Stock, Simon Cullen, Eli M. Noam, Felice Basboll, Teresa Bejan
Chair: Edward Skidelsky
This panel examines the virtues necessary for disagreeing well – civility and tolerance – and asks how they can be cultivated in practice. It brings together academics and students who have developed a number of initiatives – ranging from debating societies and AI tools to institutional reforms – to restore the university’s role as a space for free and open inquiry.
6:00 pm
Closing remarks by Edward Skidelsky
6:10 pm – 8:00 pm
Drinks and refreshments