Forbidden Event on Free Speech in Dutch Higher Education - Laurens Buijs

On 3/3/23, the Great Citizens Institute co-organized a “forbidden” event in Amsterdam about free speech and free thought in higher education. In general, there has been grave concerns about the erosion of these freedoms in the last three years (e.g., https://potkaars.nl/blog/2022/10/14/michala-schippers-over-academische-vrijheid-en-societal-decline-waarschijnlijk-waargebeurd)

The filmed event arose from the consternation around Laurens Buijs, a gender studies scholar at the University of Amsterdam who got into a full confrontation with students and staff after critiquing the non-binary gender movement. He decided to use the whistleblower legislation of the university to formally object to the rise of woke and cancel culture at his university. Despite this, he is currently in a situation where he is fighting for his position.

The free speech event was meant to show that his case does not stand by itself, but that we are confronting a fundamental challenge in higher education. Over 40 students, teachers, concerned citizens and others involved in higher education visited the event to discuss how the rising totalitarian zeitgeist is threatening freedom of speech and thought in colleges and universities. The event was supposed to take place at the UvA, but the central board decided to prohibit the meeting less than 24 hours in advance. Luckily, a community of free thinkers opened their space for us so that this unique “forbidden event” could take place.

On March 10th Rico Brouwer and Laurens Buijs look back on the event and discuss the issues that were raised by some of the speakers.

on Follow the Science: https://followthescience.nl/interviews/forbidden-event-on-free-speech-in-dutch-higher-education-laurens-buijs

great citizens institute https://www.greatcitizensmovement.org/great-citizens-institute/
article on follow the science

research paper "Is Society caught up in a Death Spiral? Modelling Societal Demise and its Reversal" https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4352765

research paper "Shaping ideal futures: Writing a letter to the future" https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4372540