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“It is not the proper role of the university to attempt to shield individuals from ideas and opinions they find unwelcome, disagreeable, or even deeply offensive.”

So reads a passage from the Chicago principles, developed by the University of Chicago in 2014. The document has been hailed as the gold standard by which American universities can uphold free expression and academic freedom on campus.

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Alberta’s United Conservative Party government announced earlier this month it will be requiring Alberta universities to abide by the Chicago principles. This move would follow in the footsteps of Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative government in Ontario.

This is a welcome development, as we often still hear about the stifling of free expression and open inquiry on university campuses across the country.

In March of this year, ex-Muslim activist Armin Navabi was set to give a speech at Calgary’s Mount Royal University on the topic of atheism versus reforming Islam. Navabi was disinvited by the university’s interfaith centre days before his presentation. University officials cited heightened sensitivities following the Christchurch mosque shootings as the reason for his disinvitation. Fortunately, due to pressure from members of the university and community at large who wanted to hear Navabi’s point of view, MRU reversed course and expressed regret over the disinvitation.