On Wednesday, December 10, 2025, from 4:00 p.m. (P5), we welcome a special guest in the Research Workshop: Professor Sarah de Lange is well known to many of us through her comparative research on radical and extreme right-wing parties and their electorates. This time, however, she will speak on a different topic she is currently studying: attempts to intimidate and threaten political scientists—especially female political scientists—because of their research. All interested parties are cordially invited!

Abstract:

In a world that is experiencing democratic backsliding, regressive mobilization against institutions of critical learning and knowledge production are increasing. As a result, academic freedom is under pressure, as is evidenced by the declining scores of many countries in the Academic Freedom Index. In this context, individual scholars have to grapple with the consequences of authoritarian measures that curb academic freedom, such as the defunding of research programmes, the cancelling of teaching programmes, the statal overtake of key academic institutions, and assaults on campus integrity. A crucial byproduct of the politicization of knowledge production that also affects academic freedom is the harassment, intimidation, and threats experienced by individual scholars. In this paper, we examine which political scientists are most likely to experience harassment, intimidation, and threats, why they are being targeted, and by what kinds of actors. It presents the results of a novel dataset created on the basis of a population survey amongst political scientists in Northwestern Europe and Canada that inquires after experiences with harassment, intimidation, and threats between 2020 and 2025. Analysis of the data demonstrates that political scientists who research politicized topics are more frequently on the receiving end of harassment and threats. Moreover, scholars from marginalized groups, including scholars with an ethnic, gender, and sexual minority background, are more likely to be confronted with harassment, intimidation and threats, while women are significantly more likely to experience the most severe forms of intimidation and threats when compared to their male colleagues. Most frequently, the harassment, intimidation, and threats come from organized groups or individuals with a far-right background.

Iris B. Segers, Center for Gender Research/Center for Research on Extremism, University of Oslo
Anders R. Jupskås, Center for Research on Extremism, University of Oslo
Audrey Gagnon, School of Political Studies, University of Ottawa
Sarah de Lange, Department of Political Science, University of Amsterdam/Leiden University (per 15-10-2025)