Academic freedom policy

Università IULM as a body has a policy on supporting academic freedom (freedom to choose areas of research and to speak and teach publicly about the area of their research), which explicitly guarantees the freedom of research, teaching, and expression through formal institutional and legal commitments enshrined in its Statute and supporting governance documents.

Formal Policy Framework

Article 4 of the University’s Statute fully safeguards the freedom of teaching and research.
It establishes that all faculty members and researchers enjoy autonomy in their scientific and educational activities, within the framework of the Italian Constitution (Article 33) and the European Charter for Researchers (2005/251/EC).
The article affirms that the University:

• recognizes and protects the independence of thought and inquiry of its academic staff;
• guarantees that teaching and research are conducted without political, religious, or economic interference;
• ensures that staff and students may freely disseminate the results of research and participate in public debate.

Implementation and Institutional Practices

IULM reinforces these principles through:

• its IULM Code of Ethics, which explicitly upholds “intellectual independence, scientific rigor, and the free expression of ideas as fundamental to the University’s mission”;
• a transparent research governance system, ensuring faculty autonomy in selecting research topics, methodologies, and collaborations within national and international frameworks
• open publication policies, encouraging faculty to publish without prior institutional approval and to participate in public dissemination and media commentary related to their expertise;
• editorial independence in all University-affiliated journals and publishing series;
• ethical review procedures that protect academic integrity without limiting freedom of inquiry.