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Rabat — Morocco continues to face major challenges in academic freedom, according to the 2025 Academic Freedom Index.
Released by V-Dem Institute and Friedrich-Alexander-Erlangen-Nuremberg University, the ranking placed the North African country in the lower rankings worldwide, in the bottom 40-50% of countries alongside Senegal, Somalia, Maldives, and Liberia.
The findings in this ranking reflects a concerning reality that Moroccan academics, who deal with ongoing restrictions in teaching, research, and academic expression, face in expressing their academic thoughts.
The comprehensive report evaluated 179 countries and territories through the end of 2024 using standardized surveys and precise statistical data.
The index used five key indicators to assess academic freedom, namely freedom of research and teaching, freedom of academic exchange and knowledge dissemination, university autonomy, campus safety, and freedom of academic and cultural expression.
Morocco’s low ranking mirrors broader challenges across the Arab world, where most countries fall into the lowest tiers of the index. Restrictions on research, teaching, and academic expression have significantly impacted academic spaces throughout the region.
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Countries like Egypt, Syria, and Palestine rank among the worst 10% globally, while Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Jordan, and Iraq face varying degrees of limitations.
The report linked several factors that contribute to poor performance of academic freedom, including government interference in university affairs, legal restrictions on free expression, weak institutional independence, and a culture of self-censorship within academic communities.
These factors humper the practices that scientific research and intellectual creativity requires.
The global picture shows a general decline in academic freedom, with 34 countries experiencing noticeable decreases in research and teaching freedom over the past decade, while only eight countries showed significant improvement.
The report stated that academic freedom and healthy democratic systems are interrelated, noting “that countries with anti-pluralist parties in government have lower levels of academic freedom than those where anti-pluralist parties have little-to-no political influence.”
Case studies from Argentina, Poland, and the US demonstrate how internal political changes can significantly impact academic environments.
The Academic Freedom Index project began in 2017 as an initiative by German researchers with support from the Fritz Thyssen Foundation. Since then, it has developed into the most comprehensive source of data on academic freedom worldwide.
