The article addresses the declining state of academic freedom in Norway, highlighting the subtle yet pervasive 'silent killing' of this freedom in academic institutions. It argues that while there are dramatic assaults on academic freedom, a more insidious and everyday undermining is taking place, leading to research that is poorer in quality, more uniform in perspective, and less critical towards society. This situation is concerning as it hampers the essential purpose of academia to foster independent thought and diverse exploration of ideas.

Historically, academic freedom has been understood not merely as the right to express and publish ideas freely, but as the autonomy to pursue research topics chosen by the researchers themselves. This freedom allowed professors to chase their intellectual pursuits with adequate funding from their institutions or external sources that emphasized free inquiry. However, the article suggests that contemporary forces, including increased government and bureaucratic influence, threaten this foundational characteristic of academic work, leading to skepticism regarding the legitimacy of agency like the Research Council of Norway and even university leadership.

The implications are significant as the article calls into question the current trajectory of academic institutions in Norway. With the critical element of academic freedom in jeopardy, the article warns that the future of research may be compromised, lacking the necessary diversity and critical discourse essential for a healthy academic environment. This situation poses risks not only for universities and researchers but also for society as a whole, as the role of academia is to challenge prevailing norms and generate progressive ideas, which becomes increasingly difficult without true academic freedom.