ABOUT US

Africa Coalition for Academic Freedom (ACAF) is an initiative aimed at championing academic freedom concerns across the African continent.

ACAF is supported by Scholars at Risk Network (SAR), one of the leading advocates for academic freedom across the globe, and is hosted by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), based in Accra, Ghana.

The coalition, registered under the laws of Ghana, seeks to address the challenges that prevent African universities and other intellectual establishments from fulfilling their core purposes, that is, the production, dissemination, and application of knowledge that promotes democracy, human rights, and sustainable development on the continent. By building a collaborative network of academics, higher education institutions, student unions, civil society organizations, and partner institutions, ACAF seeks to empower individuals and institutions to uphold and defend the core principles of academic freedom and intellectual autonomy.

Background

The chequered history of academic freedom in Africa and the perilous state it finds itself in today is dictated to by the coloniality of its higher education landscape, which is dominated by factors such as massification, high lecturer-student ratios, poor remuneration for lecturers, undue interference by the state in the affairs of the university, and poor allocation of resources for research. These factors have affected the ability of the Africa university to realise its production, dissemination, and application of knowledge, which are located within the ecosystem for the exercise of academic freedom.

Thus, although many African States have now given recognition to academic freedom in their post-Cold War constitutions, this development has not translated substantively into improving the culture of respect for academic freedom in Africa. Moreover, academic freedom remains an abstract concept, even among the academic community and more so in the larger society. Its purpose, relevance, mode of application, and means of making claims and seeking redress, among others, remain a mystery to many.

Identifying the history, the actors, the factors, the context, and the nuances informing the academic freedom matrix in Africa is critical to identifying the root causes of the problem.

Vision

To be a leading regional defender of academic freedom in Africa, fostering a culture of respect for academic freedom and serving as a catalyst for human rights, democracy, and sustainable development on the continent.

Mission

Collaborate with members, partners, and relevant stakeholders to formulate academic freedom principles that speak to the African experience; develop appropriate advocacy strategies and interventions; and build supportive political constituencies outside the confines of the university to promote academic freedom.

Core Values

The following core values underpin the vision and mission of ACAF, guide its actions, and shape its culture as a defender of academic freedom in Africa.

Integrity

ACAF commits to upholding the highest standards of honesty, fairness, independence and ethical conduct to ensure that ACAF remains a credible and trustworthy organisation.

Innovation

ACAF believes in achieving its vision through the application of novel and useful models and strategies to drive the delivery of services to its partners, members, and clients across the continent and beyond.

Networking and Collaboration

ACAF commits to building strong partnerships with the academic community, civil society organisations and international networks within Africa and beyond to ensure respect for, protection and promotion of academic freedom.

Solidarity, Diversity and Inclusion

ACAF approaches its work from an inclusive and non-discriminatory perspective by seeking to embrace diversity and seeking the welfare of all its constituents, irrespective of race, colour, ethnicity, nationality, language, social origin, disability, sex, political, religious or other affiliation, property, birth or other status.

Sustainability

ACAF seeks to design creative ways to deliver on its core mandate over the long term while minimising risks and without compromising its other core values and project quality.