Harvard Alumni For Free Speech (HAFFS), co-sponsored by the Academic Freedom Alliance, ACTA (American Council of Trustees and Alumni), the Council on Academic Freedom at Harvard, FIRE (the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression), Heterodox Academy, Princeton Alumni for Free Speech, and the Voices for Liberty Initiative, invites you to a timely conversation on the state of open inquiry and academic freedom in higher education, featuring Nadine Strossen, former President of the ACLU and Senior Fellow with FIRE; Dr. Jeffrey Flier, former Dean of Harvard Medical School and Chair of the HMS Working Group on Open Inquiry; and John Evangelakos, President of HAFFS.

The discussion will center on the recently released report of the Harvard Medical School Working Group on Open Inquiry, which examined the climate for free expression, intellectual diversity, and civil discourse within one of the nation’s leading academic institutions. The report’s findings raise important questions not only for Harvard, but for higher education more broadly, as universities grapple with how to foster rigorous debate, viewpoint diversity, and a culture that encourages honest inquiry.

Dr. Flier will offer insight into the Working Group’s process, findings, and recommendations, as well as the broader efforts underway at Harvard and across academia to strengthen norms of open dialogue and academic freedom. Ms. Strossen, a longtime national advocate for free speech and civil liberties, will bring her perspective on the importance of protecting robust debate and dissent within educational institutions. John Evangelakos will moderate the discussion and explore what meaningful reform and cultural change may require moving forward.

This webinar is part of HAFFS’s ongoing effort to promote free speech, academic freedom, and viewpoint diversity at Harvard and throughout American higher education.