Sarah McLaughlin
Senior scholar of global expression at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). Author of Authoritarians in the Academy: How the Internationalization of Higher Education and Borderless Censorship Threaten Free Speech.
Best podcasts with Sarah McLaughlin
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Sep 7, 2025 • 42min
Sarah McLaughlin, "Authoritarians in the Academy: How the Internationalization of Higher Education and Borderless Censorship Threaten Free Speech" (Johns Hopkins UP, 2025)
Sarah McLaughlin, a senior scholar at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, dives into her groundbreaking work on how authoritarian regimes infiltrate American academia. She discusses alarming instances of censorship affecting international students, particularly from China, and the pressures faculty face in their classrooms. McLaughlin reveals the financial motives behind universities compromising free expression, reflecting broader trends in society. Her insights underscore the urgent need to protect academic freedom against rising global authoritarianism.
Aug 19, 2025 • 1h 10min
How Foreign Governments Influence U.S. Universities
Sarah McLaughlin, a senior scholar at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, dives into the alarming influence of foreign authoritarian regimes on U.S. universities. She reveals how financial ties with countries like China compromise academic integrity and freedom of expression. McLaughlin shares personal insights on censorship's rise since 2014, the implications for international students, and the debate surrounding political correctness on campuses. Her findings challenge us to consider the cost of globalization on free thought in education.
