November 2024

On October 16-17, over 100 scholars, leaders, and advocates met to discuss the importance of promoting academic freedom in the United States at the Scholars at Risk USA General Assembly in Pittsburgh, PA, hosted at Carnegie Mellon University, in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh.

CMU and Pitt both are active members of the SAR U.S. Section, and the meeting demonstrated the value of strong local collaborations. There was palpable energy in the room on the first day, which opened with a discussion by panelists Eve Darian-Smith and Abdullahi An-Naim on academic freedom in the national and global context. Additional topics during the day included creating opportunities for student engagement on university campuses, advocating for academic freedom using SAR’s Free to Think 2024 report, and making the most of scholar placements. The day ended with a Town Hall, during which attendees participated in roundtable discussions on navigating academic freedom challenges in the United States.

Attendees convened again on the second day for a session on strategies and pathways for scholars/practitioners to continue their academic careers or transition to roles outside academia. This was followed by a plenary showcasing the work of City of Asylum, a Pittsburgh-based organization welcoming and supporting displaced writers worldwide for the past 20 years. The event ended on a high note, with remarks urging participants to collaborate and share their feedback to build a strong SAR U.S. Section intent on countering growing threats to academic freedom in the U.S. and worldwide. To see an overview of the SAR USA General Assembly, and select photos from the event, please visit the SAR website.

Scholars at Risk, in cooperation with partners at the Coalition for Academic Freedom in the Americas (CAFA), organized a number of activities on October 24 and 25 in New York.

On October 24, Open Society Foundations (OSF) hosted a public panel discussion on how academia is crucial to fostering social progress, particularly as it relates to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Moderated by CAFA Director Camilla Croso, the panel included UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education Farida Shaheed, David Robinson from Education International, Henry D. Wright from Global Student Forum, Pablo Vommaro from CLACSO, and Lily Gray from UNESCO, with closing remarks from SAR’s Jesse Levine.

The symposium brought together over 15 experts from across the Americas, including the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, to discuss student protests in the United States, risks to university autonomy amidst the rise of anti-DEI legislation, the commercialization of higher education, and how instruments like the Principles for Implementing the Right to Academic Freedom can guide the implementation of academic freedom protections across the Americas. Read the Principles here »

SAR scholars are at-risk higher education professionals who exemplify the pursuit of academic freedom, freedom of expression, and university values. If your institution is interested in hosting a SAR scholar, please email hostingatSAR@nyu.edu.

Scholar of Clinical Biochemistry | Afghanistan-766

Expertise: Early career scholar currently completing PhD dissertation on maternal nutrition and neonatal DNA methylation
Reported risk: General risk, loss of profession, and displacement due to gender identity
Seeking: Research and/or teaching position in Switzerland or the United States beginning January 2025; eligible for IIE-Scholar Rescue Fund co-funding

Investigative Journalist | India-558

Expertise: Extensive experience investigating human rights abuses and corporate and political corruption, including as regional editor for a leading investigative journalism platform
Reported risk: Government surveillance, harassment and intimidation, and a judicial investigation in relation to his investigative reporting
Seeking: Research position in Southern Europe beginning as soon as possible; eligible for SAR Practitioners at Risk co-funding

Scholar of Philology and Literature | Ukraine-799

Expertise: 25+ years of research and teaching experience in Ukraine, Poland, and Australia; research interests include postmodern poetics, British and American literature, and English stylistics
Reported risk: General risk, loss of profession, and displacement due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine
Seeking: Research and/or teaching position anywhere beginning April 2025

Are you seeking ways to further support SAR scholars? Consider joining the Volunteer Proofreader Initiative!

SAR invites volunteers from a wide range of disciplines including engineering, physics, mathematics, English literature, animal sciences, computer sciences, environmental sciences, journalism, and media literacy to contribute their academic writing and proofreading expertise to the Volunteer Proofreader Initiative.

By volunteering, you will help scholars enhance their CVs, cover letters, teaching statements, and other documents crucial to the academic job search. Your professional edits and recommendations will address immediate proofreading needs and support scholars in understanding key aspects of the academic application process. This initiative provides an opportunity to directly support scholars in navigating the job market with confidence.

Over 90% of participating scholars who responded to a survey on the VPI reported that the feedback provided by proofreaders was highly relevant to the advice they were seeking. One scholar shared:

“Scholars under risk need Volunteer Proofreader help and also need guidance in this new academic landscape. It was very helpful for me.” – SAR scholar

Make a meaningful difference by offering your time and expertise to support scholars navigating new academic opportunities! We invite you to visit the Scholars at Risk Volunteer Proofreader Initiative page today for more information on the program, the time commitment required, and how to get involved. You can also email sar-volunteerproofreader@nyu.edu for more information.

The Vivian G. Prins Scholars at Risk Speaker Series is a wonderful opportunity for SAR network institutions to welcome and engage with international scholars and practitioners on their campuses. Through curated academic events, campus communities have a chance to learn about threats to academic freedom, attacks on scholars, and scholars and practitioners’ own academic work and experiences.

SAR is delighted to present the 2024-2025 Speaker Series roster of scholars and practitioners, each with a powerful and unique story to share.

Recently, the University of Massachusetts-Amherst hosted an inspiring lecture that featured SAR scholar and renowned journalist, Marvi Sirmed, who shared her resilient life story with undergraduate students of the Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSI) Comparative Public Policy program and offered insights into the importance of a free press.

If your institution is interested in inviting a SAR scholar or practitioner to your campus community, we invite you to fill out this form and/or email sar-speaker-series@nyu.edu with any further questions.

Scholars at Risk (SAR), in collaboration with the International Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU), invites you to attend “The Current State of Academic Freedom,” a series of webinars discussing the challenges facing higher education institutions and academics across the world.

These one-hour sessions will highlight how the SAR Network is working to protect at-risk scholars and the freedom to think, question, and share ideas. SAR staff will discuss key trends from SAR’s Free to Think 2024 report and how institutions can get involved. Each webinar will be regionally focused and scheduled for the following dates and times:

Webinar dates:

• Europe: December 4, 2024 at 3 p.m. CET
• Latin America: January 29, 2025, at 3 p.m.CST
• North America: March 12, 2025 at 3 p.m. EST
• Africa: April 2, 2025, at 3 p.m. WAT
• Asia: May 14, 2025, at 6 p.m. JST

On 8 October, the European University Association (EUA) hosted a MSCA4Ukraine webinar titled ‘Supporting displaced Ukrainian researchers: the role of host institutions.’

The session was moderated by Henriette Stoeber, EUA Policy Analyst, and included six speakers from three institutions: Masaryk University (Czech Republic), University of Tartu (Estonia), and MSCA4Ukraine (Scholars at Risk Europe). As hosts to MSCA4Ukraine fellows, Masaryk University and the University of Tartu shared how they have welcomed researchers from Ukraine, allowing them to continue their research and further their careers while maintaining their connections to their home institutions. The universities described the additional steps they are taking to enhance collaboration with the Ukrainian higher education sector and overcome challenges along the way. All presentations from the webinar may be found here: Supporting displaced Ukrainian researchers: the role of host institutions, and a full recording is available as well. Highlights of the event have also been published here. For information regarding future EUA events, please visit: Events.

Support SAR today

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SELECT OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES

See a full list of scholar resources

Visiting Researcher Scholarship 2025, Centre for Applied Human Rights at University of York | Deadline: December 20, 2024

This is a six-week visiting researcher scholarship for 2025. The aim of the exchange is to share knowledge and build capacities on universities as sites of activism and protection. Applications that seek to build links between universities in the Global South are particularly welcome. The exchange can be up to 6 weeks in length and requires a mutually agreed programme of work between the researcher and the host university. The fellowship will cover all relevant costs, including travel, accommodation and a stipend. Read more »

SELECT SAR & PARTNER EVENTS

See a full list of SAR events

IACHR Hearing on Academic Freedom | November 12, 2024
On Tuesday, November 12 from 9AM to 10:30AM EST, join SAR and close partners virtually at a regional thematic hearing at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). SAR’s goal is to present a regional analysis of attacks on academic freedom and university autonomy in the Americas and provide the IACHR with valuable information for its oversight work.

Read more »

Council of Europe Conference on “Academic Freedom in Action” | November 13, 2024

The launch event of the new Council of Europe project “Academic Freedom in Action” on the democratic mission of higher education will comprise of five panels, including the presentation of the Report on the Threats to Academic Freedom, a Panel Discussion on Academic Freedom and Fundamental Values of Higher Education through the prism of Human Rights organised jointly with the European Court of Human Rights, and the high-level panel on Academic Freedom in Politically Charged Times. SAR Europe Advocacy Manager, Denise Roche, will be participating as a panelist. Read more »

World Movement for Democracy General Assembly | November 20-22, 2024

SAR’s Deputy Director Sarah Willcox will join global partners at the World Movement for Democracy’s 12th Global Assembly in Johannesburg, South Africa. Every two years, the Global Assembly brings together hundreds of individuals across civil society, academia, media, and business sectors to share knowledge, build strategies, and connect to each other across cultural and regional divides. Please reach out to Sarah if you or others would like to connect at the event: sarah.willcox@nyu.edu.

“All Static & Noise” film screening and discussion | New York, NY, United States | November 25, 2024

Join director David Novack, editor Nancy Novack, and protagonist Jewher Ilham (daughter of imprisoned for life scholar Ilham Tohti) for the New York Premiere of the award-winning documentary All Static & Noise. Tightly edited and beautifully scored, this film features atrocities occurring in the western region of China among Uyghur and Kazakh people. Brought to the screen by those directly impacted by the crisis, the film not only highlights a story that everyone should know about, but it offers hope in the resiliency and determination of its heroes. Read more »

Global Surge in Attacks on University Faculty & Students: What is to be done? | November 26, 2024

SAR’s Free to Think 2024 report finds scholars and university students face frequent and pervasive attacks on their academic freedom and the autonomy of their institutions — from North America to the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. What are the causes and consequences? What can be done? This is a free, online event and no registration is required. Read more »

Issues at the Intersection of Engineering and Human Rights: A Symposium, National Academies for Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, United States | November 18-19, 2024
On November 18-19, the National Academy of Engineering’s Cultural, Ethical, Social, and Environmental Responsibility in Engineering (CESER) Program and the National Academies’ Committee on Human Rights (CHR) will conduct a symposium exploring issues at the intersection of engineering and human rights. Goals of this symposium include increasing awareness of the role engineers play in protecting and promoting human rights and exploring ways human rights-based approaches to engineering might help engineers and human rights experts solve pressing challenges. Read more »

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SCHOLARS AT RISK is an independent not-for-profit corporation, hosted at New York University. Our international network of institutions and individuals shares a mission to protect threatened scholars, promote academic freedom, and prevent attacks on higher education communities around the world.

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