Hypotheses on Institutional Autonomy Decline

This chapter sets out three central hypotheses on decline in university autonomy, with illustrative examples from eight qualitative case studies (Bangladesh, Brazil, Egypt, India, Mozambique, Poland, Russia, and Turkey) and the Academic Freedom Index data (AFI). The three hypotheses are the following: First, that a major decline in university autonomy is typically coupled with a broader decline in democracy and the rule of law in a country. Second, that excessive government interference with university autonomy focuses on governance, particularly on who leads the institution, or can manifest in excessive state regulation. Third, attacking university autonomy is an effective way to undermine academic freedom, but not the only way, and there is no typical sequence in the kinds of attacks that target academic freedom.