This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: In an era marked by social, economic, environmental, technological and political tensions, academic institutions can help societies navigate complex health challenges and generate sound, evidence-based solutions. But the steady decline in public trust in science—and simultaneous rise in political pressures on higher education—threaten to stymie academia's independent research and valuable contributions to communities on a local and global scale.
In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, the World Health Summit (WHS) Academic Alliance and medical journal The Lancet have launched a joint commission that will examine and strengthen the core responsibilities of academic institutions to health research and society in this evolving environment, and work to restore public trust in scientific institutions. Called the World Health Summit Academic Alliance-Lancet Commission on Academic Responsibility for Trust in Science and Societal Change, the commission is composed of 30 interdisciplinary global experts hailing from 22 countries and territories. Adnan Hyder, School of Public Health dean and Robert A.
Knox Professor, is a member of the commission and its steering committee. "It is very clear that trust in science, health care and public health has been eroded over the past several years, and many leaders in institutions of higher learning are very concerned," Hyder says. "The goal of this new commission is to explore how academic responsibilities to society have evolved over time, identify the current challenges to this understanding, and determine how these institutions can interact with societies despite these challenges, lending knowledge and expertise to serve the public good." The WHS Academic Alliance is the academic arm of the World Health Summit, a leading global health platform that convenes experts across multiple sectors to develop solutions to key global health issues.
In four working groups over the next two years, the WHS Academic Alliance-Lancet Commission will analyze the foundation and implications of academic responsibility in historical, local and contemporary contexts, outline requirements for how responsible institutions should be designed in the future, and define practice-based approaches for how academic institutions can interact with societies. The group expects to disseminate its findings in a report in The Lancet in 2028 (and likely additional platforms), aiming to provide actionable recommendations for governments, nongovernmental organizations, the private sector, academia and others. Hyder and several commission members also announced this initiative in a new commentary in The Lancet.
In it, they underscore the need for international, cross-sector collaborations to combat health and science misinformation and enable academic institutions to maintain the freedom and independence to study urgent global issues and serve as catalysts for social good. "As the concepts of social good shift with cultural context, the relationship between society and academia should be characterized by more than the mere trade of applied research and higher education in exchange for public funding," the authors write. "To optimally fulfill their role, universities need freedom from disruptive political interference.
Researchers require space to pursue curiosity-driven research relevant to their disciplinary focus. They must also be allowed to openly report and discuss their findings and to follow the training and education mission of their academic institutions. "Crucially, such academic freedom is not a commodity for scientists but serves as the foundation for social progress, economic prosperity and human flourishing worldwide." This work lies at the heart of Boston University School of Public Health's mission to promote social justice, equity and human rights in local, national and global communities.
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