Concerns Over Declining Academic Freedom in Ghana
The Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA) expressed concern over the decline in academic freedom within public universities. They highlighted issues such as political interference in university governance and overregulation by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC). GAUA criticized government appointees and politicians for exerting undue influence on university administration without adhering to established laws […]
Dismissal of Lecturers at University of Lagos
In February 2020, the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Governing Council terminated the appointments of seven lecturers, including Professor Oluwatoyinn Ogundipe and Dr. Taiwo Oyedeji, who had publicly criticized the university administration’s handling of funds and government policies on higher education. The dismissals came shortly after the academics participated in a national debate on university autonomy […]
Resignation of Professor Tawana Kupe from the University of Pretoria
Professor Tawana Kupe unexpectedly resigned from his position as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Pretoria in June 2023, six months before the end of his term. Local media reported that he had recently been cleared of sexual harassment allegations. However, it was later revealed that Kupe had previously been found guilty of sexual harassment at […]
Fear of Political Victimization Among Zambian Academics
A study presented at the National Symposium on Academic Freedom revealed that 25% of academic staff at public universities refrained from exercising academic freedom due to fear of political victimization. The survey, involving 150 academic staff from various institutions, identified factors such as government policies, intimidation from university management, and restrictive regulatory bodies as contributing […]