The V-Dem Institute, a research organization focused on democratic issues, has released its 2022 Global Academic Freedom Index, in which Hong Kong is ranked 152nd out of 179 countries and regions. The report analysis suggests that the National Security Law for Hong Kong, enacted by the Chinese Communist Party in 2020, has imposed unprecedented pressure on academic freedom in Hong Kong.
The report investigated academic freedom in 179 countries and regions globally and found that the top five ranked countries and regions are all in Europe. In descending order, they are the Czech Republic, Estonia, Belgium, Italy, and Germany. The highest-ranked Asian country is South Korea, ranking 45th, followed by Taiwan at 57th place, and Japan, among others. Countries with lower academic freedom compared to Hong Kong include Iran, China, Afghanistan, Syria, and others. North Korea ranks at the very bottom of the list.
As for academic freedom in mainland China, the report indicates that universities in mainland China have consistently been under the control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). While there are academic committees and faculty representative assemblies, they all operate under CCP management. The scope of academic research, academic exchanges, and public lectures is also determined by the CCP. In 2017, mainland China established party committees within universities to oversee ideological education and the management of faculty and staff. Over the past two years, the integrity and ethical atmosphere on campuses in China has faced increasing pressure, and other indicators have also remained at lower levels.
The report also includes charts that illustrate the changes in academic freedom indices from 2012 to 2022, with Hong Kong being one of the regions that experienced a significant decline.
