Brown, RISD join colleges vowing to help scholars from Afghanistan

A piece by Edward Fitzpatrick for The Boston Globe covering Scholars at Risk’s efforts to assist at-risk scholars in Afghanistan.

PROVIDENCE — Scholars in Afghanistan, especially women, are facing threats from the Taliban and many are trying to flee the country now that the United States has withdrawn, ending the 20-year occupation that began after the al-Qaida attacks on 9/11, advocates said this week.

“There is tremendous panic among the scholars right now,” said Adam Braver, a Roger Williams University professor who chairs the Scholars at Risk-US Steering Committee. “Educated people, and particularly scholars, are finding themselves under deep threat from the Taliban.”

To help, 217 colleges and universities around the world have committed to host a scholar from Afghanistan, including 112 that expect to fund those positions immediately, said Clare Robinson, advocacy director for Scholars at Risk.

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