Threats to Institutions of Higher Education in Closing Spaces

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) contribute to every country’s economic, social, and political development. They encourage critical thinking and civic engagement and help build human capital through knowledge transfer and training. Their research contributes to innovation and helps build networks of learning and practice within and beyond national borders. Yet, as an examination of cross-national data on higher education between 1960 and 2017 shows us, global trends have led to increasing opposition to higher education, and HEIs are increasingly threatened with infringements on their academic freedom. According to the Academic Freedom Index in 2024, in the past year, 23 countries have seen a decline in academic freedom; only 10 have seen improvement. The below figure shows trends in selected countries. A recent report from USAID’s Higher Education Learning Network, “Higher Education in Closed and Closing Spaces,” describes threats to HEIs, the effect of those threats on development, and options for USAID to protect HEIs. This Learning Digest outlines highlights of that report and links to additional research on opportunities to support HEIs in an era of democratic backsliding.

This edition of the DRG Learning Digest examines the following topics:

• The Contributions HEIs Make to Economic, Social, and Political Development
• Threats to HEIs in Closed and Closing Spaces
• Mitigating Threats to HEIs