STOA high-level conference - Academic Freedom in Support of Democracy
2026-03-04T13:00:00+00:00
2026-03-04T16:00:00+00:00
https://www.expert-europe.eu//medias/image/thumbnail_61358013069a456b32f00d.jpg
The House of European History
Rue Belliard 135
Brussels
1040
BE
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Official EP EventSTOA High-Level Conference — Academic Freedom in Support of DemocracySTOA Annual Conference 2026📅 Date:Wednesday, 4 March 2026🕐 Time:14:00 – 17:00 CET📍 Location:The House of European History, AuditoriumAbout the EventAcademic freedom is widely recognised as a key condition for the functioning of open and democratic societies that adhere to the rule of law. Similarly, full realisation of academic freedom is unlikely when these values are being challenged. At the times when academic freedom and trust in science gradually erode in Europe, this annual STOA conference focuses on the relationship between academic freedom and democracy, as well as policy initiatives that support these values.The conference will allow policy makers and scholars to discuss the following questions: What is the role of academic freedom in democracy? What are the policies and policy initiatives that acknowledge their relationship and support them? What trends do we observe in the state of both democracy and academic freedom?Programme14:0014:30Opening and Keynote SpeechesOpening: Christian EHLER, STOA Chair, MEP⭐ Keynote: Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament⭐ Keynote: Ekaterina ZAHARIEVA, European Commissioner for Startups, Research & InnovationKeynote: Eva YIASEMIDOU, Cypriot EU Council Presidency14:3015:30Democracy and the Role of Academic FreedomAcademic keynote “What is democracy today and how we measure it”: Prof. Svend-Erik SKAANING, Aarhus UniversityPanel discussion with: Christian EHLER (STOA Chair) · Carolina PLESCIA (University of Vienna) · Tomas TOBÉ (MEP, EU Democracy Shield Committee Rapporteur) · Maria Cristina RUSSO (European Commission, DG Research & Innovation)15:4516:00Break16:0016:50Latest Trends in Academic Freedom: Findings of EP Academic Freedom Monitor 2025Peter MAASSEN (University of Oslo) · Vasiliki KOSTA (Leiden University) · Paola MATTEI (University of Milan) · Lina GÁLVEZ, STOA Vice-Chair, MEP16:5017:00Closing RemarksIvars IJABS, STOA Vice-Chair, MEPSpeakers+⭐ Special GuestRoberta METSOLAMEP MaltaPresident of the European ParliamentEPP | PNPartit Nazzjonalista Roberta METSOLARoberta Metsola has been President of the European Parliament since January 2022. She was first elected to the Parliament in 2013, re-elected in 2014, 2019 and 2024, and served as First Vice-President from 2020.A lawyer specialised in European law, she previously worked within the Permanent Representation of Malta to the EU and as legal advisor to the High Representative for Foreign Affairs. She holds degrees from the University of Malta and the College of Europe in Bruges.DelegationsCHAIR DMED×+⭐ Special GuestEkaterina ZAHARIEVAEuropean Commissioner BulgariaEuropean Commissioner for Startups,Research and Innovation Ekaterina ZAHARIEVAEkaterina Zaharieva is the European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation (2024–2029), driving the EU’s ambition to place research, innovation, science and technology at the centre of the European economy.A lawyer by training, she previously served as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs (2017–2021), Minister of Justice (2015–2017), and Member of the Bulgarian National Assembly (2017–2024).×+Christian EHLERMEP GermanySTOA ChairMember of the European ParliamentEPP | CDUChristlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands Christian EHLERDr Christian Ehler is Chair of STOA and has been MEP for Brandenburg since 2004 (EPP/CDU). As rapporteur for Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe and the Parliament’s initiative on freedom of scientific research, he is a leading figure in European R&I policy.CommitteesITRE BUDGDelegationsDMAG×+Tomas TOBÉMEP SwedenEU Democracy Shield RapporteurMember of the European ParliamentEPP | MModeraterna Tomas TOBÉMEP since 2019 and EPP Vice-Chair, Tomas Tobé is the rapporteur for the Special Committee on the EU Democracy Shield (EUDS). In the previous term he chaired the Development Committee and led negotiations on the Migration Pact.CommitteesLIBE EUDS DEVE ITRE TRANDelegationsV-CHAIR D-BY D-UK D-US×+Lina GÁLVEZMEP SpainSTOA Vice-ChairMember of the European ParliamentS&D | PSOEPartido Socialista Obrero Español Lina GÁLVEZMEP since July 2019 and STOA Vice-Chair, Lina Gálvez holds a PhD from the European University Institute (Florence) and is Full Professor of Economic History at Pablo Olavide University (Seville). She chairs the FEMM Committee.CommitteesCHAIR FEMM ITRE INTADelegationsD-US DKOR×+Ivars IJABSMEP LatviaSTOA Vice-ChairMember of the European ParliamentRE | LALatvijas attīstībai Ivars IJABSMEP (second term, Latvia) and Vice-President of the Renew Europe Group. Also STOA Vice-Chair. A political scientist and PhD, he was associate professor at the University of Latvia before entering politics.CommitteesITRE ECON IMCODelegationsD-IL DMED DSCA×+Robert-Jan SMITSPresidentNetherlands House of Education and Research Robert-Jan SMITSPresident of the Netherlands House of Education and Research. Previously President of Eindhoven University of Technology (2019–2025) and Director-General of Research and Innovation at the European Commission (2010–2018), where he architected Horizon 2020.He has received the Academy Medal of the Royal Dutch Academy, the Excellence in Global Science Award (South Africa), and an honorary degree from Edinburgh University.×+Eva YIASEMIDOUPresidency CoordinatorCypriot EU Council PresidencyEva YIASEMIDOUPresidency Coordinator at the Cypriot EU Council Presidency. Previously served at the European Commission’s Secretariat-General in the unit responsible for the European Council and Coreper II.Her diplomatic career includes postings as Antici Counsellor at the Permanent Representation of Cyprus, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Cyprus in Paris, and Attaché in Vienna.×+Svend-Erik SKAANINGProfessor of Political ScienceAarhus University, Denmark Svend-Erik SKAANINGProfessor of Political Science at Aarhus University and project manager for Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem). He is also consultant for the Global State of Democracy Indices by International IDEA and principal investigator for the Lexical Index of Electoral Democracy.His research focuses on the conceptualisation, measurement, causes and consequences of democracy and the rule of law.×+Carolina PLESCIAAssociate Professor of Digital DemocracyUniversity of Vienna, Department of Government Carolina PLESCIAAssociate Professor of Digital Democracy at the Department of Government, University of Vienna. Her research focuses on public opinion, electoral behaviour and political representation.Recognised as a leading expert on democratic attitudes and digital democracy, her work explores how voters form preferences and how perceptions shape political participation and democratic legitimacy.×+Maria Cristina RUSSODeputy Director-GeneralDG Research & Innovation, European Commission Maria Cristina RUSSODeputy Director-General for Innovation, Prosperity and International Cooperation at DG Research and Innovation. She oversees EU-third country R&I relations and the Association Agreements to Horizon Europe.With the Commission since 1992, she holds a degree in Political Sciences from LUISS (Rome) and a Research Master’s from the College of Europe in Bruges.×+Peter MAASSENProfessor — Academic Freedom Monitor 2025University of Oslo, Faculty of Educational Sciences Peter MAASSENProfessor of Higher Education Studies at the University of Oslo and Extraordinary Professor at Stellenbosch University. His research focuses on higher education governance and science policy.From 2022 to 2025 he led EP research projects on academic freedom in the EU and has produced over 250 international publications.×+Vasiliki KOSTAAssociate Professor of European LawAcademic Freedom Monitor 2025Leiden University Law SchoolVasiliki KOSTAAssociate Professor of European Law at Leiden University Law School and Principal Investigator of the NWO Vidi project “The EU Fundamental Right to Freedom of the Arts and Sciences” (AFITE).Since 2023 she is a member of the Young Academy of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). She holds an LLB, LLM from King’s College London and a PhD from the European University Institute (2013).×+Paola MATTEIProfessor of Public PolicyAcademic Freedom Monitor 2025University of Milan, Department of Social and Political Sciences Paola MATTEIProfessor of Public Policy and Political Science at the University of Milan, and Director of the Evidence-Based Policy and Research Action Hub (EPRAHub). Executive Editor of the European Journal of Educational Research and member of the Council of Europe’s Working Group on Academic Freedom.Recent publications: Democratising Science (Bristol University Press, 2023) and the Oxford Handbook of Education and Globalization (OUP, 2024).×Organised byPanel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA)European Parliament Science and Technology Assessment
https://www.expert-europe.eu/fr/group/portugal/47/calendar/stoa-high-level-conference-academic-freedom-in-support-of-democracy/2026/03/04/408
