On a legendary visit to the divided capital, then president of the United States John F. Kennedy held his famous “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech on June 26, 1963, in front of Rathaus Schöneberg, the district city hall. That afternoon Kennedy would go on to deliver another speech to about 20,000 people on Freie Universität Berlin’s campus in Dahlem that would also go down in history, stating that the university, just like any other, “must be interested in turning out citizens of the world [...] who are willing to commit their energies to the advancement of a free society.” In line with Kennedy’s idea that universities are at the vanguard of freedom, the speakers at “Citizens of the World. Academic Freedom in a Global Perspective” will look at issues of academic freedom from a historical perspective as well as within a modern context, with reflections on how academic freedom can be shaped in the future.

The keynote lecture, “The Historical Roots and the Future of Academic Freedom,” will be held by Anita Traninger, professor of Romance languages and literatures at Freie Universität Berlin and recipient of the 2023 Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize. The following talk, “When Democracies Cease to Defend Academic Freedom,” by Brazilian legal scholar Conrado Hübner Mendes will address how Bolsonaro’s government intimidated and silenced critical voices. Hübner Mendes, a professor of constitutional law at Universidade de São Paulo, was accused of defaming the Brazilian prosecutor general. He is now facing a criminal trial and is the subject of a review by his university’s ethics committee.

The special event marks the beginning of International Week 2023 at Freie Universität, which will be taking place from June 26 to 30. Students, researchers, and staff from across the university are invited to attend talks and workshops about the university’s ongoing international activities, country-specific cooperation programs, opportunities specifically for international students, and funding programs. Many offices and departments that are dedicated to internationalization and creating opportunities for university members at Freie Universität Berlin are involved in organizing International Week.

This week-long event will address highly topical questions, such as: What does internationalization mean for Freie Universität? How do I set up joint projects and partnerships with international institutions? What opportunities are there for students, researchers, and staff to go abroad? What prospects do graduates have when it comes to getting a job with an international dimension? And how can Freie Universität graduates from abroad gain a foothold on the German labor market?