Highlights

Academic freedom is widely recognised as a fundamental value of contemporary higher education and research, and as a prerequisite for well-functioning democratic societies. However, in recent years, major concerns have been expressed by various stakeholders about the state of academic freedom in the European Union. The European Parliament annual Academic Freedom Monitor aims to improve the promotion and protection of academic freedom in the EU. The 2025 edition is organised in two parts. The first ...

X-ray free electron lasers (XFELs) are particle accelerators that create pulses of light of extremely short duration, similar to that of some lasers used in eye surgery. Combined with the X-ray energy-domain, they enable a close examination of the shortest processes in nature – such as the way atoms move during a chemical reaction. Although Europe hosts some of the world-leading XFELs, the next generation may allow scientists to trace the motion of electrons in its entirety. This could make XFELs ...

Quantum technologies have transformative potential and are already exerting a significant impact on global economies and society. The European Union (EU) supports the development of these technologies through initiatives such as the Quantum Flagship and Horizon Europe, as well as through national initiatives and programmes. However, the specific role of quantum technologies in supporting the EU's energy and climate goals has so far received limited and fragmented policy attention. This briefing explores ...

The ability of generative AI ('GenAI') to generate plausible text, images, music and computer code in response to human prompts is impressive. GenAI promises huge productivity gains in many domains, and large amounts of financial and political capital are staked on its success. Nevertheless, the current generation of models exhibit well-publicised weaknesses that might not simply disappear by using more data and processing power or smarter training. This paper looks at those limitations, and the ...