Our story: 2023–2026

Different perspectives. A shared purpose.

Academic freedom and freedom of expression are fundamental to the purpose of a university. They underpin independent research and teaching, the pursuit of knowledge, and the freedom to develop, test, and communicate ideas.

Between 2023 and 2026, the University of Edinburgh undertook a major programme of work to strengthen these freedoms in practice.

The programme deliberately brought together colleagues with different experiences, expertise, and perspectives to develop a shared institutional approach. The aim was not to secure agreement on every contested question, but to work collaboratively to strengthen the conditions in which academic freedom and freedom of expression can flourish.

Students in a group seminar

Why collaboration mattered

The collaborative approach was supported by a deliberately designed programme structure. Its purpose was not simply to distribute activity across different groups, but to connect the work to the parts of the University where academic freedom and freedom of expression are understood, exercised, and supported in practice.

Four Workstreams and, initially, two Task and Finish Groups were established, with one Task and Finish Group continuing during the later stages. Their leadership was connected to established institutional responsibilities. For example, the EDI Workstream was chaired by the University's EDI Lead, providing a direct connection to the University's existing EDI leadership and governance arrangements. These connections were grounded in institutional roles, rather than dependent upon particular individuals.

Central to the programme was a Coordinating Group, chaired by the Convenor. Its membership brought together senior academic and professional services leaders, Heads of School, the University Registrar, the President of the Students' Association, the Joint Trade Unions, and colleagues with responsibilities across education, EDI, HR, Legal Services, communications, and University governance. This provided direct connections across the institution while ensuring that student and trade union perspectives were represented within the collective direction of the programme.

The programme combined distributed responsibility with active programme leadership. Workstream Chairs and members were supported to develop their own terms of reference, establish priorities, and determine approaches to delivery. The Coordinating Group provided a forum in which these different contributions could be brought together, considered collectively, and connected to wider institutional priorities.

The Working Group was not established to adjudicate individual disputes or determine the outcomes of particular controversies. Its purpose was to strengthen the University's capacity to uphold academic freedom and freedom of expression over time.

This approach enabled different perspectives and areas of expertise to shape a coherent programme, while providing established routes into University practice and decision-making. The intention was to develop institutional capability that could endure beyond the lifetime of the Working Group

Here you can explore the history of the Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression Working Group, what they did and how they did it.

The University's Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression Working Group was established in early 2023, during a period of heightened debate and, at times, unsustainable division, both within higher education and across wider society.

These debates raised important questions about how academic freedom and freedom of expression are understood and exercised, and how universities navigate the different responsibilities and expectations that arise within a diverse academic community.

The initial Working Group focused on four areas: policy, engagement and culture, communication, and education. Its work included reviewing institutional policies, examining legal responsibilities, engaging with colleagues, and supporting the development of understanding among University leaders.

As this work progressed, the need for a broader and more systematic approach became apparent. Rather than responding primarily to individual controversies, the University needed to consider how academic freedom and freedom of expression could be strengthened across its activities and institutional arrangements.

In October 2023, University Executive approved twelve recommendations that substantially expanded the Working Group's remit, establishing the foundations for a renewed University-wide programme.


Following University Executive's decision in October 2023, the Working Group was refreshed in 2024 with a broader remit and a new approach to participation.

Recognising the different and sometimes strongly held perspectives within the University, particular attention was given to how the refreshed Working Group would be constituted. A recruitment and selection process was specifically designed to bring together participants from across the University, reflecting a breadth of experiences, expertise, and perspectives. This incorporated an institution-wide open call, supported by an assessment and selection process led by Human Resources and informed by an Equality Impact Assessment. The approach was intended to ensure that the composition of the Working Group reflected deliberate consideration of the range of participation required, rather than simply who volunteered.

Read the Equality Impact Assessment

Around 50 members were subsequently involved at any one time, bringing together academic and professional services colleagues, student representatives, the Joint Trade Unions, and expertise spanning education, EDI, law, research, policy, and governance. Membership evolved throughout the programme, with new colleagues joining as others stepped down.

The refreshed Working Group first met in May 2024.

The breadth of participation was deliberate. The intention was not to secure agreement on every contested question, but to create the conditions in which colleagues with differing perspectives could work together towards a shared institutional purpose.

The approach reflected a central judgement: in an area characterised by deep disagreement, a credible institutional response needed to be built through a broad coalition, rather than shaped by any single perspective or constituency.


During 2025, the programme moved from establishing its collaborative foundations towards the development and delivery of its principal areas of work.

The published 2025 Working Group Plan established eight intended outcomes, providing a shared direction for the programme and a framework for coordinating and monitoring progress.

The work addressed different but connected aspects of academic freedom and freedom of expression. Educational principles were developed to support their understanding and application in teaching and learning. Work on EDI explored how constructive disagreement could be supported across differing perspectives. Existing policies and guidance were examined, while a new approach was developed to identifying and understanding emerging challenges to academic freedom and freedom of expression.

Research formed a particularly ambitious strand of the programme. Drawing upon an initial review of academic and other relevant literature, a comprehensive institution-wide study was developed to investigate how academic freedom and freedom of expression were understood and experienced across the University's staff community. Its breadth and scale were intended to provide a substantial institutional evidence base, moving beyond individual experiences and controversies to inform future action.

The programme was supported by continuing engagement and communication across the University. This included engagement with Senate and other University bodies, direct participation by student and trade union representatives, and regular communication through the programme website, published progress reports, and other institutional channels. These activities helped connect the developing work with the wider University community.

Although each area had its own objectives and programme of activity, the work was developed as part of a connected whole. The intention was to ensure that the different strands contributed to a coherent institutional approach, with their outputs capable of being taken forward through the University's established activities and responsibilities.

By the end of 2025, the programme had established the foundations for the substantive outputs and wider institutional developments delivered during 2026.


By 2026, the collaborative programme had produced a substantial body of work across five connected areas, each contributing to strengthening how academic freedom and freedom of expression are understood, exercised, and supported across the University.

The programme was designed with a longer-term purpose. Its work sought not simply to develop new principles, guidance, and resources, but to bring about sustained structural change in how the University approaches academic freedom and freedom of expression. Engagement with colleagues, connections to established institutional responsibilities, and planning for the continuing development of the work were therefore integral to its delivery.

Click on the links below to find out more about each of the principal developments across the programme's five areas of work, alongside some of the wider activities that supported their delivery.

Anticipating challenges

Freedom of expression at the heart of teaching and learning

Making room for difference

Strengthening policies, guidance, and support

Understanding our community through research


Building foundations for sustained change

Alongside its principal areas of work, the programme undertook wider engagement and communication activity to strengthen understanding across the University. This included a University-wide digital communications campaign, practical resources, and opportunities for dialogue and engagement within and beyond the institution. These activities were intended not simply to communicate what had been produced, but to support its adoption and continuing development.

Throughout delivery, attention was also given to how the different strands of work could be sustained within the University's existing structures and responsibilities. This included identifying appropriate institutional leads, establishing routes for continuing ownership, and developing arrangements through which the work could become part of established governance and operational practice. These considerations formed part of the programme's design and delivery, rather than being addressed only as it approached completion.

Taken together, these achievements establish foundations for sustained structural and cultural change. Their significance lies not simply in the resources produced, but in the institutional capacity developed to strengthen practices, decision-making, and understanding of academic freedom and freedom of expression over time.

Edinburgh landscape of Calton Hill

Beyond 2026: Strengthening the University into the future

Academic freedom and freedom of expression cannot be secured once and for all. New challenges will continue to arise, and disagreement will remain an essential feature of a vibrant, diverse staff and student academic community.

The transition to business-as-usual arrangements is central to the programme's longer-term purpose. Rather than creating parallel structures or establishing a permanent replacement for the Working Group, the approach has focused on identifying and drawing upon the University's existing governance and operational arrangements. Lead roles and responsibilities have been identified for the different strands of work, providing clear institutional ownership and routes through which their activities and achievements can be integrated into the University's established functions. The intention is to ensure that this work becomes part of how the University ordinarily operates, with responsibility for its continuing development resting within the structures best placed to sustain it.

Structural arrangements alone, however, cannot demonstrate lasting change. The significance of the programme will also depend upon how its principles, guidance, and evidence inform everyday institutional practice. Continuing engagement with staff and students, longitudinal research, and the regular consideration of new challenges will be important in assessing progress and identifying where further action is needed.

The intended legacy is a strengthened University, better equipped to anticipate challenges to academic freedom and freedom of expression and to sustain open inquiry and constructive disagreement as enduring features of its institutional life.

Professor David Smith Convener, Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression Working Group

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