Reflections from the EAIE on 25 years of inspiration
Posted September 3, 2026
To commemorate the SAR network’s 25th anniversary, EAIE President Sara Lopez Selga and Executive Director Mervin Bakker reflect on the organizations’ shared commitment to defending academic freedom and building a global higher education community that stands with scholars under threat.
The 25th anniversary of Scholars at Risk comes with mixed emotions. On the one hand, there is the genuine joy that an organisation that has made a profound impact has reached a significant milestone. On the other hand, there is the sad realisation that its work is still urgently needed – arguably more than ever before.
At a time when academic freedom and internationalisation are under pressure in many parts of the world, we as actors in the international education space share a responsibility: to demonstrate that solidarity and collaboration, building on diversity and complementarity, can bring us a long way.
A source of inspiration
Scholars at Risk’s great achievements over the past 25 years, and its action-oriented approach, make it a source of inspiration for us at the European Association for International Education (EAIE), made up of dedicated and grounded professionals and practitioners. This is why we feel a strong sense of alignment between our organisations, as we are both firmly rooted in the international education community and guided by shared values.
In an uncertain and often challenging global context, the EAIE is committed to operating in line with fundamental principles of human dignity and rights, liberty, democracy, equality and the rule of law. In our field, these principles translate concretely into safeguarding academic freedom, the pursuit of inclusion and fair access to quality education, as well as the development of critical thinking and skills that equip individuals to participate thoughtfully and responsibly in the world.
With our European roots and a global outlook, we see it as our role to provide an open platform that enables meaningful interaction and human connection. This is reflected across our activities, and most visibly in the annual EAIE Conference and Exhibition, where the global international education community comes together in all its diversity. We believe in creating space for constructive and respectful dialogue, even, and especially, in challenging times or on sensitive topics. This matters, because we believe that truth matters and all voices should be heard, including the silent, weaker and critical ones.
Indeed, we cannot and will not turn a blind eye when academic institutions, colleagues, or students are affected by conflicts or when our fundamental values are under threat. In such cases, we are committed to being proactive when necessary.
From inspiration to action
As an association of practitioners, we are naturally drawn to action. In recent years, we have therefore focused on colleagues who have to work in particularly difficult circumstances, such as conflict zones, and asked how we could best support them.
This has led to several initiatives. One example is that we had the honour of welcoming the Unissued Diplomas exhibition to our annual conference, which commemorates Ukrainian students who will never graduate because they lost their lives in the war with Russia. We have also supported delegations from Ukraine and Palestine to participate and exhibit at our conference, creating opportunities for dialogue with the global international education community about their needs and realities. In addition, we have organised sessions focused on working with institutions in crisis contexts, produced publications and podcasts addressing topics such as academic freedom, and scholars and students at risk, and provided free access to our training programmes for colleagues from conflict zones. Finally, we have also long provided Scholars at Risk with a space at our conference, enabling direct connections with the full spectrum of stakeholders gathered there.
Importantly, and similar to the work of Scholars at Risk, these efforts are not grounded in any particular political position or agenda. Instead, they are a natural and pragmatic reflection of the EAIE’s vision and values at work in the world.
A birthday wish
These examples are not intended to be self-congratulatory. Rather, they illustrate the broader point that every actor in the international education sector has a distinct and complementary role to play in defending values and rights like academic freedom, whether as an education institution, a network or a professional association. In choosing to take such actions, we can all follow the pathway and the movement started by Scholars at Risk 25 years ago.
On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Scholars at Risk, we end with a wish for the coming 25 years: that our collective efforts will help create a world where academic freedom is more widely upheld and where fewer scholars and students are forced to flee their countries. International educators can provide a safety network until this moment arrives, when mobility is a matter of choice, not necessity.
– Sara Lopez Selga, EAIE President & Mervin Bakker, EAIE Executive Director
Are you or colleagues from your institution attending the EAIE 2026 conference in Glasgow from September 8-11? Stop by SAR’s booth to learn about getting involved in the global academic freedom movement. Thank you to the EAIE for its ongoing support of SAR’s presence at its annual conference.
Extra featured listening: Academic freedom is under increasing strain around the world, as scholars and institutions confront political pressure, censorship, and growing geopolitical complexity. In this episode of the EAIE Podcast, SAR Executive Director Robert Quinn joins host Laura Rumbley to reflect on SAR’s 25‑year evolution, highlight meaningful achievements, and unpack the urgent challenges reshaping higher education today.
