15 December 2025
Young academies are composed of outstanding researchers early in their careers. Now, eight young academies in the Nordic countries and the Baltic states are coming together in a joint appeal – Call for Action – due to the growing threat to academic freedom.
The young academies in Sweden, Estonia, Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Norway and Denmark stand behind the call. Photo: Rowan Heuvel/Unsplash
Universities represent the knowledge-based, open and curious society that, over time, builds a brighter future for all. When academic freedom is threatened, we lose part of the foundation of our open and democratic society. Today, 15 December, eight young academies based in Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland and Sweden publish a joint call in defence of academic freedom.
The call identifies three areas where political leaders must act to safeguard fundamental academic values and protect a free and independent academy. In their call, the Nordic–Baltic young academies urge those in positions of power to:
The threat to academic freedom is real. The resistance is, however, equally present. United with colleagues across the Nordic–Baltics we call for decisive action to protect academic freedom, and to safeguard a cornerstone of our democratic society.
David Marlevi, Convenor for the international activities committee, Assistant professor in medical science, Docent in medical imaging at Karolinska Institutet
Photo: Lars Pehrson/Sveriges unga akademi
With Lithuania nowadays seeing widespread protests over free speech, there is increasing awareness that academic freedom may also come under pressure. That makes this initiative especially timely!
Rūta Ubarevičienė, Chair of the the Young Academy of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences, researcher in geography and sociology at Delft University of Technology
Photo: The Young Academy of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences
David Marlevi, Convenor of the academy’s International activities committee, associate professor of medical imaging science at Karolinska Institutet, david.marlevi@ki.se
Jesper Ahlin Marceta, PhD, research policy coordinator, jesper@sverigesungaakademi.se
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