The International Political Science Association World Congress took place in Seoul from July 12 to July 16, 2025. The event provided an excellent opportunity to: 1) promote the results of the FreeAC project, 2) participate in the global discourse on the challenges to academic freedom in the turbulent 21st century, and 3) find new inspirations and points of reference for further studies in the field.

During the Congress, the FreeAC project consortium was represented by Bartosz Hordecki from the Faculty of Political Science and Journalism at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. He presented chosen project results during his speech titled “Polish Universities as a Space for Intercultural Dialogue in the Context of the Russian-Ukrainian War,” which he prepared in collaboration with Tadeusz Wallas.

Additionally, Bartosz Hordecki delivered a paper discussing the militarisation of the Russian language regime, identifying this process as a significant threat to academic freedom in Ukraine and neighbouring countries.

These presentations aligned closely with the message of the plenary lecture, “The Contentious Politics of Academic Freedom: Social Movements and Repression,” delivered by Donatella della Porta. In her speech, she emphasised that academic freedom is currently under global pressure. She pointed out that many opponents of academic freedom pretend to be its defenders. This phenomenon results in a cacophony of meanings attributed to AF as a concept.

This situation necessitates careful reflection from the academic community, which should: 1) thoroughly examine how AF as a concept is used and abused today, 2) engage in thorough discussions to achieve a reliable understanding and practice of AF in our times, and 3) reconsider the institutional framework designed to support AF to ensure it aligns with the broader system of human and civil rights.