1) How did you determine the focus of your research, and how does it relate to the challenges that you consider to be the most important for advancing academic freedom as a fundamental human right?

There are three reasons why participating in the call is important:
(1) It provides an opportunity to explore the topic and establish its position in the Central American region, which is groundbreaking.
(2) It allows us to form a group of researchers who will systematize knowledge on the topic and raise awareness of its importance.
(3) It enables us to meet and share with researchers from other regions of Latin America and the Caribbean, which broadens our perspective and the perspectives of others.

2) What impact do you think your research will have on academic freedom in the short and long term?

In the short term, we aim to conduct a thorough assessment of the historical and institutional manifestations of the three barriers. This assessment will be accompanied by indicators of educational quality and scientific productivity, which demonstrate the interdependence between these phenomena and academic freedom. By incorporating these findings into academic forums, the media, and policy-making spaces, we hope to promote a public and institutional debate focused on protecting university autonomy in terms of more than just academic quality.
In the long term, we aim to contribute to the establishment of sustainable condi-tions for academic freedom in Paraguay by providing evidence-based recommendations that encourage university governance practices that are less susceptible to political influence and commercialization. We hope this comparative framework will advance the national research agenda on this issue and serve as a resource for future regulatory reforms and institutional self-assessments that incorporate academic freedom as a key criterion of quality and legitimacy.

3) What is the importance of taking part in this call for research proposals that is being promoted by CAFA and CLACSO?

Participating in this call for proposals is essential for our team because it connects us with a regional network dedicated to strengthening academic freedom. This network facilitates the exchange of methodologies and transnational comparisons. At the same time, it gives visibility and legitimacy to a study addressing an underrepresented issue in Paraguay by integrating it into a Latin American agenda, thus generating academic and political synergies.
The CAFA and CLACSO call for proposals provides us with the resources and spaces for dialogue necessary to translate our findings into concrete proposals for educational and university governance policies.