Debating the Freedom of Scientific Research. SACRU Autumn School 2025

 

Building on the success of its first edition in Lisbon in 2024, the SACRU Autumn School 2025 will take place at the Roman campus of the Australian Catholic University (ACU) during the Jubilee of the World of Education.

Under the theme “The Freedom of Scientific Research”, the Autumn School will explore how political, economic, and ethical pressures increasingly shape research today. Participants will examine the global dynamics of academic freedom, the impact of funding frameworks, the ethical balance between truth, value, and the common good, and the growing influence of AI in research.

Co-organized by the scientific co-ordinators Prof. Paolo Gomarasca (Università Cattolica) and Dr. Darren Sariski (ACU), the program will gather fourteen Ph.D. students and ten academics and researchers from across SACRU member universities: from Australia to Colombia, from Portugal to Japan, from Spain to the United States, from Chile to Italy.

Through lectures, workshops, case studies, and interactive sessions, the program will offer young scholars critical tools to reflect on their academic paths and to navigate the evolving landscape of research with integrity and independence. At its core, the SACRU Summer School seeks to answer a vital question: How can young researchers secure academic freedom while ensuring career sustainability in an increasingly regulated research environment?