Academics condemn Baudet in open letter
More than eight hundred teachers and researchers from universities, colleges and research institutes criticize Thierry Baudet's recent comments about science and education. 'We are concerned and alarmed', they write.
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“We are being undermined by our universities,” said Thierry Baudet in his victory speech after the provincial elections. The party leader of Forum for Democracy lashed out hard at the academic world, which he has accused of "left-wing indoctrination" for some time. The party recently opened an indoctrination hotline and is calling on students to report examples of this.
Conspiracy
More than eight hundred academics are 'disturbed and alarmed' about Baudet's statements. 'Our society will not accept any political restrictions on the freedom of critical academic research and teaching,' they write an open letter. According to the signatories, Baudet creates a 'conspiracy-like atmosphere' and scientists and opinion makers are “portrayed as enemies of the population”.
As an example, the letter writers cite climate science, which Baudet rejects. According to them, he propagates an 'alternative historiography based on national pride'. The indoctrination reporting center would mainly concern the "selective disqualification of knowledge that does not fit in with one's own political and ideological program", the letter states.
To pronounce
Earlier, twelve scientists from Radboud University called on their board to speak out against Baudet. The VSNU umbrella organization and the KNAW scientific society saw no reason for this at the time, but the VSNU's indoctrination hotline is now going too far. 'The universities stand firm for academic freedom, have every confidence in their lecturers and firmly distance themselves from this reporting centre', the VSNU writes on Friday. in a statement.
