Threatened scholars will find sanctuary in Germany through a new fellowship program

Scholars at Risk is honored to partner with the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in the launching of the Phillip Schwartz Initiative, a fellowship program that will allow up to 20 scholars and scientists threatened by war and persecution to continue their research at German universities and research institutions for a period of two years starting in the summer of 2016.

The initiative, which has also received the backing of Germany’s Federal Foreign Office and private foundations, is named after Jewish pathologist Philipp Schwartz who was forced to flee Nazi-Germany in 1933 and founded the “Notgemeinschaft deutscher Wissenschaftler im Ausland” (Emergency Society of German Scholars Abroad).

Scholars at Risk and partner organization the Scholar Rescue Fund (SRF) will work with participating host institutions to evaluate scholar applications, and to develop and promote information and resource sharing among participating institutions, including through events, conferences and advisory services. In cooperation with SRF and the Humboldt Foundation, SAR will organize a workshop for participating institutions in Berlin from April 19 to 20 to share best practices related to hosting scholars and to discuss a potential SAR-Germany Section.

German universities and research institutions interested in hosting a threatened scholar through the Philip Schwartz Initiative must submit an application by March 31, 2016. Visit the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation’s website to download application materials and to learn more.