Foreword - Open Minds: academic freedom and freedom of speech in Australia

Some books are necessary, speaking to a moment when clarity is essential. The issues of academic freedom and free speech on campus have been a target for clashes in the United States for some time. Recently, Australia imported the controversy, only lightly retooled for local consumption. Australian universities find themselves accused of suppressing the rights of staff and students, of creating a ‘chilling’ atmosphere that prevents the full flow of debate – indeed, of debasing the very idea of a university. Cue columns about Cardinal John Henry Newman and knowledge for its own sake, demands for adopting a policy statement developed for the University of Chicago and claims of ‘substantial hostility to free speech’ on campus.