In a recent interview with the Journal de Québec, Université de Montréal Recteur Daniel Jutras discusses the topic of academic freedom and the various threats it faces. Jutras tells the Journal that many commentators have raised concerns about “wokeism,” that is, the trends of self-censorship and the treatment of certain topics as taboo. While UMontréal has taken action to defend academic freedom against these trends, Jutras stated that these threats are often exaggerated and pale in comparison to the risks posed to academic freedom by other factors, such as the US government and declining perceptions of higher ed’s credibility. Jutras concludes by reflecting on the decline of the public’s perceptions of higher ed and how the rise of populism, increasing costs of education, and insufficient self-representation by universities have contributed to this.
