Are Universities the World Over Losing the Battle for Free Speech?

Across college campuses worldwide, free speech is under increasing strain. In the United States, President Donald Trump has frozen federal funds for universities over their diversity initiatives, among other complaints. In Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán compelled Central European University to relocate to Austria and placed many universities under the control of his allies. In India, supporters of the right-wing governing party have been installed as administrators at Jawaharlal Nehru University, a historically liberal campus. Meanwhile, students have disrupted events by shouting down speakers they oppose, and protests over the Israel–Hamas war have at times escalated into unrest. Are universities losing the battle for free speech? As leading institutions of research and inquiry, how should they protect free expression, maintain order, and not give in to political pressure? Can the international community defend education and foster civil discussion around issues that provoke deep disagreements? 

Join us Wednesday, December 10, 2025, at 11:00 am EST // 4:00 pm GMT, for another installment of Free Speech at the Crossroads: International Dialogues. 

This event is co-sponsored by the Free Speech Project (Georgetown University) and the Future of the Humanities Project (Georgetown University and Blackfriars Hall and Campion Hall, Oxford). 

Featured: 

John Drakakis, emeritus professor of English studies at the University of Stirling in Scotland, holds a Ph.D from the University of Leeds, as well as an honorary D.Litt from the University of Clermont-Auvergne. He has published many articles in learned journals and chapters in books on Shakespeare, Jacobean literature and drama, media studies, modern critical theory, and cultural studies. He is a fellow of the English Association and an elected member of the Academia Europaea.

Emma Green, a staff writer at The New Yorker, covers cultural conflicts in academia. In 2020, she was the laureate of the George W. Hunt, S.J., Prize for Excellence in Journalism, Arts, & Letters. In 2021, she won awards from the Religion News Association in magazine journalism and feature writing. She was previously a staff writer at The Atlantic, where she covered religion and politics. Her work has been featured in outlets including The New York Times and This American Life.

Broome Saunders, senior tutor at Blackfriars Hall, Oxford, has been working with the Visiting Students program since 2014. She teaches and lectures for various undergraduate and postgraduate courses for the faculty of English at the University of Oxford, in her specialist field of 19th-century literature. Specifically, her research interests include 19th-century women’s poetry, 19th-century medievalism, and 19th-century women travel writers in Europe. 

Panelist #4 - TBD

Michael Scott (moderator), senior dean and fellow of Blackfriars Hall, Oxford, is college adviser for postgraduate students, and a member of the Las Casas Institute. He also serves as senior adviser to the president of Georgetown University. Scott previously was the pro-vice-chancellor at De Montfort University and founding vice-chancellor of Wrexham Glyndwr University.

Sanford J. Ungar (moderator), president emeritus of Goucher College, is director of the Free Speech Project at Georgetown University, which documents challenges to free expression in American education, government, and civil society. Director of the Voice of America under President Bill Clinton, he was also dean of the American University School of Communication and is a former co-host of "All Things Considered" on NPR.