With the UK’s Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act put on hold by the new government over the summer, and both pro-Palestine activists and ‘cancelled’ conservatives frequently claiming that their freedom has been infringed, academic freedom is making headlines.

Dr Eric Kaufmann, Director of Buckingham University’s Centre for Heterodox Social Science, has co-authored an influential report arguing that a “hostile climate” is chilling academic freedom in Britain.

His new (2024) book, Taboo: How Making Race Sacred Produced A Cultural Revolution, takes a critical look at so-called ‘woke’ culture, arguing that an emerging climate of “progressive extremism” is producing pervasive “concept creep” as liberal ideas of freedom and equality are reinterpreted to justify restricting negative liberties such as freedom of speech, assembly, and religion.

Kaufmann’s controversial but nuanced analysis of academic freedom is grounded in decades spent studying cultural politics and a wealth of empirical data. Join us to challenge, and be challenged.

Details of the event venue will be provided on registration.