International declarations on academic freedom sound great on paper, but how are they actually enforced?

In this episode, moderators Maria Sarkis and Samuel Valladares Sharini shift the focus to this very question, exploring the concrete actions, operational responses, and daily tools that universities and the SAR network can deploy to turn theoretical principles into tangible aid. To understand how this works in practice, the installment features an inspiring in-studio interview with Maksim Zafranski (Belarusian Students' Association), who has been living in exile since 2020. Through his powerful testimony, alongside a look at protest movements in Turkey and Iran, you will discover how student advocacy, formal reports, and creative activism build an international solidarity capable of truly protecting democracy and scholars at risk.

Where is academic freedom heading? In this episode of SAR Italy on the Record, host Marion is joined by co-host Ilaria Berti to examine the structural and political pressures reshaping intellectual freedom across Europe today.Together, they map the evolution of modern academic defense, from foundational international declarations to the pivotal role of Christian Ehler in the European Parliament. They address the critical limitations of non-binding legal frameworks, analyze the STOA annual report on the decline of scholarly independence, and explore why—in the face of institutional shortcomings—the true defense of free inquiry relies on the resilient, bottom-up activism of grassroots student and research movements.

Where is academic freedom heading? In this episode of SAR Italy on the Record, host Mariam is joined by Professor Ferenc Hammer — an Hungarian sociologist and specialist in media and communication — to examine the alarming decline of intellectual freedom in Hungary.Together, they discuss the strategic and legalistic methods used by the government to dismantle public universities, transforming them into private entities controlled by political appointees. They explore the global implications of this model, the chilling effect of silencing descent, and what the enduring resilience of students and scholars means for the future defense of academic freedom in an increasingly illiberal world.