Who’s Afraid of Academic Freedom?
Jean-François Venne | 02 July 2025 | University Affairs
Academic freedom is at the heart of universities’ missions, but political polarization around the world has made it a prime target for some groups and governments. Canada is not immune.
In Quebec, Minister of Higher Education Pascale Déry recently asked Dawson and Vanier colleges, both in Montreal, to stop offering two courses on Palestinian literature. Déry said she wanted to avoid exacerbating campus tensions related to the Israel-Palestine conflict. She also blocked Professor Denise Helly, who specializes in discrimination, hate crimes, and freedom of expression, from being appointed to the board of Quebec’s Institut national de la recherche scientifique, due to her alleged ties to the controversial imam Adil Charkaoui…