Fostering Academic Freedom at Colleges and Universities in Twenty-First Century Libya: The Role of Academic Leadership

Libyan society has known only totalitarian governments throughout its existence. Historically, academic leadership had little or no impact on curriculum and research. But amidst current political and social upheaval, Libyan society is shifting. The problem addressed in this qualitative study was how the academic leadership perceives academic freedom and what management strategy might lead to a more open educational system. The purpose of this study was to analyze the perceptions of a sample of 20 Libyan university professors and faculty managers regarding their roles in effecting major organizational change in establishing academic freedom. The research questions reflected how academic freedom can be conceptualized in Libyan institutions, the extent to which academic leadership can contribute to the transition to an academically free environment, as well as the views of management policy makers and professors about the sequence of a new liberalization process. Qualitative data were collected via semi-structured interviews and analyzed through the lens of dialectical theory. The primary topic was facilitating open dialogue amongst conflicting ideas and unrestrained research. The data were divided into themes through pattern matching, which allowed for better understanding of the findings. The results revealed that for academic freedom to be fostered, management of the institutions, including the faculty, the organizational culture, and the political influences, needs to be mobilized and committed toward this effort for change to occur. Overcoming the challenges regarding fostering academic freedom should add to intellectual growth in Libya's society, which could improve social prosperity. Eventually, enhanced freedom of expression could lead to many improvements throughout Libyan society.