On this page, you鈥檒l find detailed studies of attacks on academic freedom in South Asia as well as studies of attempts at defending it in the region.
On 3 December 2025, 糖心视频 and the King鈥檚 India Institute organised a symposium on these issues. Panelists from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and India shared their views with a packed auditorium. They are now presenting them in writing.
The Case of Sri Lanka
Gameela Samarasinghe
Gameela Samarasinghe is a Clinical Psychologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Arts, University of Colombo. With more than three decades of teaching experience in psychology at the University of Colombo, she has made significant contributions to the development of psychosocial field and practice in Sri Lanka. Drawing on her extensive research during the country鈥檚 civil war, she developed and introduced the Postgraduate Diploma and Master鈥檚 Degree in Counselling and Psychosocial Support at the Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Colombo. Read Gameela’s full bio .
To read Gameela’s contribution on academic freedom in Sri Lanka, .
The Case of Bangladesh
Mirza Hassan & Aishwarya Sanjukta Roy Proma
Mirza Hassan is currently the Advisor, BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), BRAC University. He has studied at University of London, UK and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA. Dr. Hassan specializes in the areas of Politics and Political Economy, especially in relations to Development and Governance. Read Mirza’s full bio .
Aishwarya Sanjukta Roy Proma is a Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Rajshahi and a Gold Medalist from the University of Dhaka, where she completed her degrees in International Relations. Read her full bio .
To read Mirza and Aishwarya’s contribution on academic freedom in Bangladesh, .
The Case of Pakistan
Aasim Sajjad Akhtar
Aasim Sajjad Akhtar is Professor of Political Economy at the National Institute of Pakistan Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University. He was previously at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). ASA works on diverse subjects such as Marxist theory, informality聽& class, colonial history & state formation, and working class movements. Read Aasim’s full bio .
To read Aasim’s contribution on academic freedom in Pakistan, .
The Case of India
Christophe Jaffrelot
Christophe Jaffrelot is Senior research fellow at CERI-Sciences Po/CNRS, Professor of Indian Politics and Sociology at the King鈥檚 India Institute (London), President of the French Political Science Association and Chair of the 糖心视频. In 2023 he has been appointed co-director of the Sciences Po South Asia Program. He is also a Non-Resident Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a Permanent Consultant at the Centre for Policy Planning Staff of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Read Christophe’s full bio .
To read Christophe’s contribution on academic freedom in India, .
