Academic Freedom and the Transnational Production of Knowledge

Public debates on academic freedom have become increasingly contentious, and understandings of what it is and its purposes are contested within the academy by policymakers and amongst the general public. Drawing on rich empirical interview data, this book critically examines the understudied relationship between academic freedom and its role in knowledge production across four country contexts – Lebanon, the UAE, the United Kingdom, and the United States – through the lived experiences of academics conducting ‘controversial’ research. It provides an empirically informed transnational theory of academic freedom, contesting the predominantly national constructions of academic freedom and knowledge production and the methodological nationalism of the field. It is essential reading for academics and students of the sociology of education, as well as anyone interested in this topic of global public concern. This title is part of the ‘Flip It Open Programme’ and may also be available as Open Access. Check our website Cambridge Core for details.

Dina Kiwan is a comparative sociologist of education at the University of Birmingham, UK, educated at the University of Oxford, Harvard University, and University College London. She was previously the Centre for Lebanese Studies Fellow at St. Antony’s College, University of Oxford, and Associate Professor in Sociology at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon.