Academic Freedom publications series – WUS concern is our concern

Zed Books is a publisher with a mission. Since our foundation in 1977 we have been publishing cutting-edge academic books from an international perspective. Our goal is to give voice to people, places, issues, and ideas at the margins.

When in 1989 World University Service (WUS) approached us about a book series on global academic freedom, we did not have to think twice. Based on the WUS’s Lima Declaration on Academic Freedom one year prior, the series set out to “promote and protect the right to education, the freedom to teach, and the freedom to pursue, develop and transmit knowledge”. No less than four successful volumes focused on different areas of the global South, sprang from our collaboration over the following five years.

Giving people a voice

Today more than ever, Zed is dedicated to its founding values. Our lists on Development Studies, Africa and Gender Studies – to name just a few – stand unrivaled for their originality and impact. In 2008, Zed won the prestigious ‘Women in Publishing Pandora Award’ – www.zedbooks.co.uk.

Thanks to our commitment to publish innovative and high-quality research only, Zed has gained a unique reputation among academics, activists and interested general readers across a wide range of topics including Economics, Latin America, the Environment, the Middle East, Asia, and many more. Run as an employee-owned co-operation, Zed is actively participating in global distribution programs to make sure our books are being read where they are most needed.

Joint efforts for a common cause With the support of WUS, hundreds of copies of the Academic Freedom series were shipped to libraries and universities all throughout the global South. The partnership of WUS and Zed is a prime example of how powerful and meaningful co-publishing can be.