Academic Freedom from the Perspective of the United Kingdom

Abstract

Academic freedom offers multiple meanings in the context of the United Kingdom. The chapter attempts to provide an overview of the evolution of the protection of rights embodied in the notion of academic freedom. Furthermore, it emphasises the differences in the regulation as observed across the regions within the UK and the trend to standardisation and increasing quality assurance procedures. Different processes and legislative reforms have had an impact on the relationships between universities and the state in the complex and challenging environment in which they struggle to exercise meaningful autonomy from several considerable pressures.