No. 115/2023

local people who think we are on their land and we want to take their forest away from them. You need a good deal of tact and cultural knowledge to convince them how important it is to protect the forest both for themselves and everyone else.” Young researchers from the area who know their way around and are trusted by the people there are the best way of convincing them. This is why, according to Glèlè Kakaï, it is essential to prevent university graduates from permanently moving abroad to find more lucrative work. And that, he believes, is also why the Humboldt Foundation’s activities are so important: “They offer incentives to African postdocs to return home at the end of the fellowship and use the knowledge they have gained to drive development in their own countries.” DEFYING THE NEXT PANDEMIC In his capacity as head of the Humboldt Research Hub, Glèlè Kakaï also works together with young research talents. “By investigating how COVID-19 has spread in Africa, we are learning how to manage future pandemics like that even better.” Admittedly, COVID- 19 never acquired the dynamic in Africa that it did in Southeast Asia, Europe and America. “Probably because, among others, we have a long experience with epidemics like Ebola and Lassa,” Glèlè Kakaï suspects. “Apart from this, other continents were hit first, and we had more time for epidemic preparedness.” Even so, he now considers it important to analyse the effects of the various control measures such as vaccinations and social distancing, so as to be better equipped to deal with pandemics in the future. Glèlè Kakaï is certain: “If we are going to overcome the global challenges, science must cooperate internationally. And this also means that young researchers with their knowledge of the local situation should be active in their own regions. This would benefit the international academic community, as well.” Text JAN BERNDORFF FREEDOM EQUALS EXCELLENCE? THERE WAS A TIME. Repressive science systems have become serious competitors for western research nations. When considering the future of academic freedom worldwide, Katrin Kinzelbach has mixed feelings. “We can see a decline in the freedom of science,” says the professor for the International Politics of Human Rights at FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, who is one of Germany’s leading advocates of academic freedom. “That said, people are very willing to campaign more for the freedom of research and teaching.” Kinzelbach helped to develop the Academic Freedom Index, a measuring tool produced jointly by researchers at FAU and the V-Dem (Varieties of Democracy) Institute at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Based on a range of criteria, the Index compares the development of academic freedom in various countries since 1900; it is considered to be the most comprehensive dataset on the state of academic freedom worldwide. Until a few years ago, the development was positive, says Kinzelbach, but in the 21st century, the trend has been downwards. “This has to do with the autocratic wave we have been witnessing for the last ten years or so. It constitutes a major challenge to science, which is increasingly global.” Currently, PROFESSOR DR KATRIN KINZELBACH is a professor for the International Politics of Human Rights at FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg. She has been a member of the selection committee for the Humboldt Foundation’s Philipp Schwartz Initiative since 2019. FOCUS 16 HUMBOLDT KOSMOS 115/2023