Balancing freedom and security: the new paradigm of research integrity

However, at the same time, we must remind ourselves that academic freedom cannot be taken for granted. The Academic Freedom Index shows a declining trend across the European Research Area since 2008. Challenges such as funding instability, limitations on mobility, and growing scepticism towards science are becoming increasingly visible in many parts of Europe.

Moreover, across the world, including in Europe, universities and researchers are increasingly navigating tensions between openness and security, between international collaboration and geopolitical fragmentation. These are not theoretical questions; they shape our everyday decisions, partnerships, and responsibilities.

As universities, we therefore have a dual obligation. We must protect the freedom of scientific inquiry and the autonomy of research, while also recognising that today’s rapidly changing geopolitical environment requires thoughtful approaches to research security and responsible international cooperation.

At the University of Tartu, we strongly believe that excellent research flourishes in conditions of openness, trust, and international exchange. At the same time, we recognise that in today’s geopolitical landscape, this necessary openness can also expose research ecosystems to significant risks. Universities – especially institutions located close to geopolitical tension areas – need to be aware of risks associated with international research collaboration: theft of information, misuse of dual-use technologies, foreign interference affecting institutional autonomy, and breaches of integrity in evaluation and recruitment processes.

Our own experience in Estonia has demonstrated that these risks are not hypothetical, they are very real. For this reason, research security should not be regarded as a hindrance to science, but rather as a necessary framework for enabling safe, sustainable, and ethical international cooperation.

Looking ahead, one of the key challenges for the future European Research Area and the next EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation will be defining appropriate boundaries for research security while preserving the openness that is essential for scientific excellence. In this context, the guiding principle should remain: “As open as possible, as closed as necessary.”

The forthcoming ERA Act therefore offers an important opportunity to reflect on how Europe can uphold both openness and security simultaneously. It is highly valuable that today’s discussion brings together perspectives from universities, European institutions, and science policy communities to explore these questions together.

Rector Toomas Asser delivered the welcoming speech on 20 May, International Academic Freedom Day, at the seminar titled "Balancing Openness and Security in the ERA Act" held at the Permanent Representation of Estonia to the EU in Brussels.