Rebecca Elliott, London School of Economics and Political Science

Sam Friedman, London School of Economics and Political Science

Ali Meghji, University of Cambridge

Aaron Reeves, University of Oxford

This project invites sociologists and scholars from around the world to reflect on the challenges facing higher education, including political censorship, marketisation, and institutional attacks on academic freedom. The call recognises that these pressures manifest differently across countries, from overt censorship in some nations to decades of marketisation and budget cuts in others, resulting in department closures and job losses.

The journal seeks commentary pieces that examine these conditions through multiple lenses: personal experiences situated within structural realities, historical and political analysis of current crises, and explorations of potential solutions. The project aims to provide a sustained platform for marginalised voices and to address long-term challenges facing academia globally, rather than serving as a short-term response to individual crises.

Appel publié par British Journal of Sociology. Voir l'appel sur le site de l'éditeur. Fiche de l'appel sur kerostig.

Potential topics

• Personal experiences of censorship and marketisation in higher education in light of structural conditions
• Historical, political, economic, and cultural underpinnings of current crises in academia
• Potential solutions and transformations to address attacks on higher education
• Global perspectives on the conditions facing sociologists and scholars across different countries
• Impact of political censorship, xenophobia, and budget cuts on academic freedom and employment

Timeline

• September 30, 2026: Submission deadline