Can the US export the first amendment?

New University in Exile Consortium scholars addressed the question of whether U.S.A-style freedom of speech is a viable model for countries such as China, Iran, and Turkey. Related topics included the challenges posed by the rise of (electoral) authoritarianism around the world. Do Western norms of free speech and academic freedom enable or slow down the establishment of democratic regimes at a global scale? How can these norms be operationalized to promote rather than obstruct freedom as a universal value?

Teng Biao

Grove Human Rights Scholar, Hunter College

Aysen Candas

Visiting Lecturer, Yale University

Kian Tajbakhsh

Columbia Global Centers, Columbia University