Professor of International Law and Human Rights at the University of Ghana School of Law, Prof Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua, has emphasised the importance of students’ academic freedom in strengthening democratic practices and shaping the future of democracy in Africa.He made the observation while delivering the University of Ghana’s ninth Inaugural Lecture for the 2025/2026 academic year at the Great Hall.The lecture, titled “The Student Question: Reclaiming Academic Freedom for Democratic Renewal in Africa,” was the final Inaugural Lecture in the University’s series for the academic year.Prof Appiagyei-Atua examined academic freedom within the wider context of Africa’s intellectual heritage, colonialism, university governance, student participation and democratic development.He challenged the conventional view that the State is the main threat to academic freedom, arguing that greater attention must also be paid to the structures and relationships within universities themselves.According to him, academic freedom can be undermined by several actors, including university management, academics and students.He noted that internal structures and power relations within universities could limit students’ ability to participate meaningfully in institutional governance and academic decision-making, despite their status as members and key stakeholders of the academic community.A major focus of the lecture was the position of students within the academic freedom framework.Drawing on the 1990 Dar es Salaam Declaration, Prof Appiagyei-Atua highlighted students’ rights to freedom of study, freedom to dissent, participation in academic programmes and involvement in university governance.He stressed that students are rights-holders because they are members of academic communities and should therefore have a meaningful voice in decisions affecting their education and the institutions they attend.Prof Appiagyei-Atua also examined the marginalisation of students within university structures.He described academic communities as vertically structured institutions in which students often occupy a subordinate position, despite being among their primary stakeholders.He argued that academic freedom could exist in a formal sense while students’ substantive freedom remained restricted by unequal power relations and institutional structures.The lecture also examined student politics and the influence of partisan politics on university campuses.Prof Appiagyei-Atua observed that the involvement of political parties in student leadership could weaken independent student activism, fuel distrust, and undermine confidence in student representation.To address these concerns, he proposed measures to strengthen independent student leadership and representation.These include transparent campaigns, non-partisan student leadership and stronger collaboration between student bodies and civil society organisations.Prof Appiagyei-Atua also called for the democratisation of the classroom, teaching methods and university governance.He argued that universities should move away from traditional approaches in which students are primarily treated as recipients of knowledge.Instead, he advocated approaches that promote dialogue, critical thinking and the co-creation of knowledge between students and academics.As part of his proposals, he presented a collaborative governance model involving the State, universities, faculty, students and civil society.The model is based on distributed authority, horizontal consultation, mutual accountability and recognition of the distinct but interconnected roles of the various stakeholders.Prof Appiagyei-Atua linked the experience of students on university campuses to the wider development of democracy in African societies.He argued that universities provide important spaces for developing democratic habits and that students’ experiences of participation, representation and accountability can influence how they engage with democratic institutions after leaving university.He therefore called for students’ academic freedom to be understood as more than an issue limited to university campuses.In his view, protecting students’ rights to participate, dissent and contribute to decision-making can help strengthen democratic values across society.Chairperson for the occasion and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, praised the lecture, describing it as intriguing and thought-provoking.She commended Prof Appiagyei-Atua for the perspectives he presented on students’ academic freedom and its relationship with democratic development.Prof Appiah Amfo acknowledged the challenges surrounding academic freedom and student participation within universities, while stressing the need to create an environment in which all members of university communities can contribute meaningfully to institutional life.On behalf of the University community, she also congratulated Prof Appiagyei-Atua on his progression through the academic ranks to become a full professor.She recognised his contributions to international law, human rights scholarship and academic discourse.In earlier remarks, the Registrar of the University of Ghana, Mr Michael Opare Atuah, said Inaugural Lectures remain an important University tradition through which the institution recognises and celebrates the scholarly contributions of its academics.He congratulated Prof Appiagyei-Atua on delivering his Inaugural Lecture and noted that it was the final lecture in the University’s series for the 2025/2026 academic year.He also congratulated the other professors who delivered their Inaugural Lectures during the academic year.Following the lecture, Prof Appiagyei-Atua received presentations from the School of Law, the Research and Innovation Directorate, Legon Hall, and his family, among others.He also received a package from Promasidor Ghana, which sponsors the University of Ghana’s Inaugural Lectures.