Scholars at Risk

SAR’s Free to Think 2024 report has just been released! Free to Think 2024 identified 391 attacks against the higher education community across 51 countries and territories around the world. Here’s our key takeaway ?? Attacks on higher education are widespread and can happen anywhere, in authoritarian and democratic societies. From violent threats to scholars’ lives in Myanmar, to the police response to student protests in North America and Europe, to the destruction of university systems in Ukraine during military conflict, to the undermining of university autonomy in Nicaragua and more, efforts to undermine academic freedom are pervasive. This is a global problem that necessitates an immediate and coordinated global response. For intergovernmental bodies, state leaders, and higher education policy makers, Free to Think 2024 is an essential read on the state of academic freedom in 2024 and a valuable guide on how to protect the higher education community moving forward. Read it now: https://lnkd.in/eBV_Qrp2 #Free2Think2024 #academicfreedom #highereducation

Oksana Khymych was forced to leave Ukraine with her two small children, unsure of what the future would hold. With support from the #MSCA4Ukraine, she has found stability in the Netherlands, continuing her work on innovative entrepreneurship. Her research will play a role in Ukraine’s economic recovery. It examines what startups need to survive in crisis conditions and how European best practices can support Ukraine’s rebuilding efforts. Though she is far from home, Oksana remains closely connected with her colleagues in Ukraine, determined to contribute to the country’s future. This is why supporting displaced researchers matters. It’s about more than careers — it’s about ensuring knowledge and innovation continue, even in the most difficult times. MSCA4Ukraine is part of the EU’s response to the war in Ukraine, ensuring that researchers can continue their work despite displacement. ?? Read her story here:?https://europa.eu/!cf3V8g

Today marks three years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Dr. Tetiana Hranchak reflects on the impact of the war on her academic work, Ukrainian national memory, and the critical need for media literacy. “With the beginning of the war, the task of reporting the truth about Russian-Ukrainian relations, the nature of Russian aggression, and the information and communication tools behind it came to the fore,” Dr. Hranchak says. “There was a rethinking and a new discovery of Ukrainians themselves. The war focused the spotlight on us and became a magnifying glass that allowed us to take a closer look at who we are, understand our own values and hopes, and see the sources of resilience and revival.” https://ow.ly/1C3l50V32ML

??New episode! Omar Mohammed describes his formerly anonymous blog “Mosul Eye,” the risks he took to document life under the Islamic State in Mosul, Iraq, and numerous social initiatives since to rebuild the city and document the stories of its inhabitants. https://lnkd.in/d4hWN5Rm

??A newly released report from the United Nations Human Rights Office found that the systemic repression of the 2024 student-led protests in #Bangladesh constituted serious #humanrights violations and raised concerns about crimes against humanity. The report estimates that between July 1 and August 15, 2024, as many as 1,400 people may have been killed, with thousands more injured, at the hands of Bangladesh’s security forces. “The best way forward for Bangladesh is to face the horrific wrongs committed during this period, through a comprehensive process of truth-telling, healing and accountability, and to redress the legacy of serious human rights violations and ensure they can never happen again,” said UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk. “My Office stands ready to assist in this vital national accountability and reform process.” Read more here: https://lnkd.in/etGAyptR

This International Day of Women and Girls in Science is an important reminder that women in #Afghanistan remain banned from medical #highered institutions. The ban is harmful to #WomenInScience and women’s health—and must not be forgotten by the international community: https://lnkd.in/enD84Zy4 Learn more about the ban on women’s medical education in #Afghanistan, and about other global attacks on #highered, through SAR’s #AcademicFreedom Monitoring Project: https://lnkd.in/dy2f_AWz

Join SAR and the IFCU-International Federation of Catholic Universities on January 29 @3PM EST (4PM CST) for a webinar on “The Current State of Academic Freedom in Latin America”! The event will highlight contemporary challenges facing #academicfreedom, how the SAR Network works to protect at-risk scholars in #LatinAmerica, and the #Free2Think2024 report. Register now! https://lnkd.in/eWhYicbp

??? International #EducationDay 2025 is a key reminder of why protecting at-risk scholars remains paramount for scholarship and social progress across the arts, social sciences, STEM and beyond. The invaluable contributions academics have made to the public good underscores the need to continue protecting #academicfreedom and the right to think, write, and share ideas freely. Read more in #Free2Think2024: https://lnkd.in/eBV_Qrp2?

New episode! We are thrilled to announce the season 5 launch of the Free to Think podcast, hosted by SAR Executive Director Rob Quinn. Listen here: scholarsatrisk.org/podcast This week we speak with Dr. Khoo Ying Hooi, an Associate Professor at the University of Malaya and 2022-23 Mellon/SAR Academic Freedom Fellow, who shares her perspective on academic freedom and coalition building in Southeast Asia. “It is really important that we embrace and understand why academic freedom is important for the future of countries,” she says. “Without being able to talk freely and write freely and express ourselves freely and learn freely, I think there will be a major obstacle for us to advance as a country.”

On the anniversary of Dr. Ilham Tohti’s arrest, SAR sent the following letter of action to Chinese authorities, advocating for his immediate release. Please read and join us in taking action. Sign onto the letter to help #FreeTohti: https://lnkd.in/emxkeA39 #ScholarsinPrison