Authoritarians in the Academy

Why it’s on the list: McLaughlin, who works on international free-expression cases at FIRE, on what happens when universities build campuses and partnerships inside authoritarian states: the censorship comes home.

Where I saw it: The author’s own publication-day post, @sarahemclaugh on X (August 19, 2025): “Publication day! AUTHORITARIANS IN THE ACADEMY is officially out. Thanks to everyone, especially my colleagues at @TheFIREorg and my publisher @JHUPress.”

Connections

• Free Speech — the stake.
• Higher Education — the institution doing the compromising.
• China — the state most often on the other side of these arrangements.