Call for Contributions: Symposium on Knowledge under Occupation
Academic Freedom and Palestine on the Global Stage
We hereby announce our forthcoming online blogpost symposium, ‘Knowledge Under Occupation: Academic Freedom and Palestine on the Global Stage’, which will be held in collaboration with Opinio Juris and will purport to provide a forum for critical and reflective discourse on the current state of academic freedom. A forum about its erosion amidst the heightened climate of restrictions and constraints imposed upon Palestinian advocacy, a situation that has become increasingly evident in the wake of developments having occurred across the globe since 7 October 2023. A forum also about the role and potentials of critique in a situation of epistemic inequality and injustice.
In this context, one may observe with grave concern the detention, suspension, and expulsion of students, the dismissal of academics, threats to dissolve student unions, and the imposition of restrictions on campus events in support of Gaza civilians and in criticism of Israel’s military actions, the latter of which remain subject to current proceedings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the grounds that they may constitute actions amounting to a genocidal campaign. And most recently, the silencing of important critical voices such as Francesca Albanese and Eyal Weizmann at German Universities sacrificing fundamental rights and freedoms for ideological conformity.
In the United Kingdom, approximately 120 universities have adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, which conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism, effectively silencing lawful speech in support of Palestinian human rights and the right to self-determination. This redefinition has resulted in unreasonable investigations, disciplinary actions, and false allegations of antisemitism against academic staff and students.
In November 2024 the German parliament adopted a resolution relying on the same working definition despite massive criticism highlighting the potential for abuse. It is noteworthy that this follows a series of repressive measures enacted by the German government against individuals or institutions engaged in advocacy for Palestinian rights in a McCarthyist manner, such as the withdrawal of public funding from numerous arts and cultural institutions, the dissolution of events, the withdrawal of a professorship over a letter expressing solidarity with Palestinians and calling for a boycott of Israeli institutions, the prohibition of politicians’ entry into the country, and the heavy-handed policing of demonstrations, to name but a few.
Comparable instances of repression and the circumscribing of academic freedom and the freedom of expression have been observed in the United States, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, and France, reflecting a trajectory parallel to that witnessed in the United Kingdom and Germany.
This raises the question of whether the integration of perspectives historically excluded from international legal discourse—such as those of Palestinians—can serve as the catalyst for a transformative shift in the field, prompting a re-evaluation of its foundational principles. Yet, this possibility remains uncertain. The broader and more pressing issue may be whether international legal thought requires fundamental restructuring, which would necessitate the deconstruction, dissection, and dismantling of its inherited canon, deeply rooted in a hegemonic, colonial, imperialist, and racist tradition of thought (cf. here and here).
Against this background, this symposium builds on the work that has been conducted in relevant journal articles (e.g. here, here and here), blogposts (e.g. here and here) and events (e.g. here, here and here), and invites scholars to share their experiences of restricted academic freedom in the context of the Palestinian occupation. These experiences, which often expose the pervasive silencing and marginalisation of pro-Palestinian voices, offer a unique lens through which to critically examine the structural biases embedded within international legal discourse. Participants are encouraged to reflect on how these constraints might not only highlight the enduring legacy of hegemonic, colonial, imperialist, and racist traditions in international law but also provide a basis for envisioning a radically restructured framework.
This approach resonates with the critiques of thinkers like Edward Said, who interrogated the Eurocentric knowledge systems that sustain colonial power, and Frantz Fanon, who emphasised the systemic violence inherent in colonial structures. By drawing on the works of critical international legal scholars like David Kennedy and Martti Koskenniemi, as well as feminist theorists such as Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, the Symposium aims to examine how international law, often framed as neutral and universal, is implicated in perpetuating inequities.
Thus, the Symposium serves as both a platform to discuss the lived realities of academic restriction and a forum to explore the possibilities of an international legal discourse that transcends the constraints of its dark past, fostering a framework that prioritizes inclusivity, equity, and historical accountability. We thus invite contributors to reflect on the following general themes:
1. Academic Freedom as a Pillar of Democratic Governance and the Rule of Law
Academic freedom has traditionally stood as a foundational pillar of democratic governance and the rule of law, providing the intellectual space necessary for the pursuit of truth and the defence of fundamental rights and liberties. How do the restrictions outlined above affect the enjoyment of academic freedom and how compatible are such restrictions with a democratic society and the rule of law? What roles does academic freedom play in upholding fundamental rights and liberties? How does academic freedom interrelate with other fundamental rights and freedoms? What impact does the chilling effect caused by such restrictions have on human rights advocacy?
2. Intersecting Struggles: The Global Nature of Systemic Oppression and Its Impact on International Law and Legal Academia
What impact do the aforementioned instances of academic freedom’s restriction have on the expression of the voices of marginalised groups and the struggle for inclusion, polyphony, and TWAILing in academic discourse and international legal academia? How do such restrictions sustain existing biases and reinforce racism and epistemic injustice in academia? How does enforced conformity in academic thinking affect the development of international law and legal thought? From an intersectional viewpoint, how does the systemic oppression of the Palestinian struggle shape and confine academic discourse? How does academic freedom enable or restrict Palestinian voice and agency? Could one consider the extensive damage and destruction of educational facilities in Gaza – including schools and universities – as an intentional effort to comprehensively destroy the Palestinian education system? In other words, could this be regarded as an act of ‘scholasticide’?
3. Academic Freedom in the Shadow of the Crossfire: Suppression, Silence, and Resistance
In light of the fact that the ICJ has been called upon to decide whether Israel’s military actions amount to a genocidal campaign, with the potential for it to reach such a decision in the future, a heightened awareness of the ethical and intellectual responsibilities of academics during such times can be seen to be of particular importance. What is the role of academics and what are good academic practices under such circumstances? How does repression in Israel influence academic freedom in Europe, North America and beyond? Which are the distinguishing lines between criticism and censorship, and what are the risks of conflating anti-Zionism with antisemitism? How are suppression and practices of silencing used in the global scene for the rewriting of historical narratives and for limiting pathways to justice and remembrance? How can/should academics confront and resist such historical erasures?
The list of proposed topics and the questions outlined above demonstrate the multiplicity and complexity of the issues emerging from the subject matter, which requires careful consideration.
If you are interested in contributing to the symposium with a blogpost that addresses any of the subjects outlined above or other questions falling within the scope of the symposium, please send your submission of 1.500 to 2.000 words (in English) via email to Sissy Katsoni (katsoni@voelkerrechtsblog.org), Khaled El Mahmoud (elmahmoud@voelkerrechtsblog.org), and Anna Sophia Tiedeke (tiedeke@voelkerrechtsblog.org) mentioning the Call for Contributions in the subject line. Submissions should also mention the affiliation of the authors.
The deadline for receipt of submissions is 31 May 2025.
The decision of whether or not a piece will be considered for publication will depend on a number of factors, including the extent to which it adheres to academic rigour, demonstrates originality, and engages with critical discourse. Given the focus of this symposium on restrictions targeted at Palestinian advocacy, we would like to give particular encouragement to submissions from both Palestinians and persons of colour. In order to allow sufficient time for the review of the submitted pieces and their preparation for publication, we anticipate that the authors of the selected blogposts will be informed at the end of June 2025 and that the publication of the symposium will take place in July 2025.
We are looking forward to receiving your submissions and reading your thought-provoking pieces!
Type of symposium: Online symposium taking the form of a blogpost series
Deadline for the receipt of submissions: 31 May 2025
Notification of the selection process: June 2025
Envisaged publication date: July 2025
Khaled is a research assistant at the Chair of European and International Law at the University of Potsdam. His research interests focus on international environmental law, the law of the sea, and procedural law of international courts and tribunals. He is a Managing Editor at Völkerrechtsblog.
Anna is a PhD candidate at Humboldt University Berlin and holds a scholarship from the Heinrich Böll Foundation. She is currently working as a Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law with the humanet3 research project, which is based in Berlin at the Centre for Human and Machines at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development. She is a Co-Editor-in-Chief at Völkerrechtsblog.