Academic citizenship—roles, rights and obligations

Abstract

In this contribution, I wish to discuss roles, rights and obligations of different groups within universities and the collaboration both internally and externally, in relation to the many steering and control challenges that universities have faced over the last 20-30 years. The context of the article is primarily the Danish universities, which follow the European tendency towards heavy steering and control, creating more top-down governance structures, challenging the overall perception of university autonomy and of academic freedom. More specifically, the understanding of the metaphor of the academic citizen seems to evolve, with different focus on rights and obligations, in different contexts and universities. As a kind of conclusion, I would encourage academic communities to integrate all members in the understanding of the modern university community, as it has a greater aspiration and mission that cannot be met without internal and external collaboration, including the state, in a new form with a more extended arm’s length.