There’s growing concern on both sides of the Atlantic over the state of academic freedom. In the United States, recently re-elected President Donald J. Trump is slashing funding for universities, claiming they do too much for DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) and too little to combat antisemitism. Meanwhile, Germany has dropped out of the top 10% of the Academic Freedom Index (AFI).

Prof. Dr. Katrin Kinzelbach, who helped develop the AFI, emphasizes that academic freedom in Germany is constitutionally protected – unlike in the United States. The AFI records the actual realization of academic freedom based on expert assessments. Recent events, including the funding scandal in the Federal Ministry of Research and Education and the response to pro-Palestinian protests, have significantly influenced Germany’s standing. Yet, political attempts to interfere in university autonomy through funding cuts, antisemitism resolutions, or expulsion clauses have met with strong public resistance – again, in contrast to the United States.

While German universities rely heavily – perhaps too heavily – on third-party funding, it is important to note that the DFG (German Research Foundation) is a university-led organization, not a government institution. That does not mean academic freedom in Germany is without challenges. A “chilling effect” is taking hold – not so much due to political pressure, but to internal university dynamics, social media, and polarization entrepreneurs. However, a representative survey conducted by the German Centre for Higher Education Research and Science Studies (DZHW) last year did not identify any structurally embedded “cancel culture.”

Even so, German academic freedom proves to be resilient in global comparison. Germany narrowly missed the top 10% in the AFI, whereas the United States had already slipped into the 20 to 30% range before Trump’s re-election. Now, the United States ranks behind Canada and Israel in the group of 20 to 30%, as well as Switzerland and the United Kingdom in the group of 30 to 40%. Trump’s conservative MAGA movement has placed universities in its crosshairs, viewing them as strongholds of liberal-progressive values, which does not bode well for academic freedom.

The recent developments have sparked debate in Germany about whether to continue long-standing collaborations with US universities. However, history shows that academic boycotts and sanctions rarely influence government policies. As long as academics in the United States – as well as in Israel or Turkey – continue to speak up against their governments’ illiberal policies, they deserve solidarity, not isolation. German universities ended partnerships with Russian institutions that openly supported the war against Ukraine. But even in this extreme case, we continue to maintain scientific exchanges on an individual level – and for good reason.

Above all, Germany must be mindful of double standards. While some question the collaboration with the United States, German universities are expanding partnerships with India, whose AFI ranking is worse than Russia’s, and are maintaining cooperation with China, which sits at the very bottom of the index. If academic freedom truly matters, consistency is key.