University of Chicago President Paul Alivisatos said higher education today is facing deep challenges regarding free expression and academic freedom, and that the Chicago Principles of free expression offer a compelling way forward—not only for universities but for other institutions as well.
Speaking at a Jan. 31 event hosted by the Chicago Forum for Free Inquiry and Expression to mark the 10th anniversary of the Chicago Principles, Alivisatos said: “Some quarters of higher education prize activism over inquiry. Important questions go unaddressed because of fear of the answers, and errors persist because of fear of disagreeing with popular positions.”
That in turn erodes the public’s trust in higher education, he added, and creates openings for government intervention. “When governmental entities or external forces censor the free expression of faculty and students and seek to compel conformity, the possibility for universities to remain places of genuine truth seeking is put at dire risk. This kind of remedy can kill the patient.”
Alivisatos underscored the opportunity for UChicago to expand its leadership on free expression beyond academia, noting the impact of the Chicago Principles over the past decade and the founding of the Chicago Forum in 2023.
“This university is proof enough that the Chicago Principles work,” he said. “I believe they are now ready to graduate. We are expanding their influence through the work of the Chicago Forum, sharing our experiences and insights with other academic institutions, as well as other institutions whose mission derives from their commitment to be truth-seeking.”