SAR’s Academic Freedom Monitoring Project investigates and reports attacks on higher education with the aim of raising awareness, generating advocacy, and increasing protection for scholars, students, and academic communities. Learn more.

Regions/Countries

Attack Types

Institutions

Date Range

Results

Date of Incident: December 31, 2022

Region & Country:Europe | Ukraine

Institution(s):Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv

On December 31, 2022, Russian forces struck the campus of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (KNU) during a wave of missile launches targeting Kyiv, causing significant damage to the campus. There were no reported deaths or injuries on the ...

Attack Types: Other

Date of Incident: December 24, 2022

Region & Country:Southern Asia | Afghanistan

Institution(s):Unspecified Institution(s)

On December 24, 2022, Taliban security forces reportedly used force against students and other demonstrators protesting a ban on women’s enrollment in higher education institutions that was recently ordered by the Taliban (see report). Taliban forces reportedly detained as many ...

Attack Types: Killings, Violence, Disappearances | Imprisonment

Date of Incident: December 24, 2022

Region & Country:Southern Asia | Afghanistan

Institution(s):Mirwais Neeka University

On December 24, 2022, Taliban forces used force against male students after they boycotted final semester exams at Mirwais Neeka University (MNU) in protest of the Taliban’s recent order to ban women from higher education. On December 20, the Taliban banned ...

Attack Types: Killings, Violence, Disappearances

Date of Incident: December 22, 2022

Region & Country:Southern Asia | Afghanistan

Institution(s):Unspecified Institution(s)

On December 22, 2022, Taliban security forces used force and detained demonstrators during a peaceful protest by students and activists responding to the Taliban’s recent ban on women enrolling in higher education (see report). Dozens gathered in Kabul to march and ...

Attack Types: Killings, Violence, Disappearances | Imprisonment

Date of Incident: December 20, 2022

Region & Country:Southern Asia | Afghanistan

Institution(s):Country-wide

On December 20, 2022, the Taliban ordered an indefinite ban on higher education for women. Prior to the ban, Taliban officials had been taking increasing steps to limit women’s access to higher education since taking over Afghanistan’s government in August 2021. ...

Attack Types: Other

Date of Incident: December 13, 2022

Region & Country:Eastern Asia | China

Institution(s):Nankai University

On December 13, 2022, Nankai University philosophy professor Wu Yanan (“吴亚楠”) was reportedly forcibly admitted to a psychiatric hospital after her repeated expressions of support for students who participated in demonstrations protesting Covid-19 lockdown measures. A professor at Nankai since 2014, ...

Attack Types: Killings, Violence, Disappearances

Date of Incident: December 10, 2022

Region & Country:Americas | Mexico

Institution(s):National Autonomous University of Mexico

On December 9, 2022, a group of approximately 12 unidentified assailants vandalized and looted the offices of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). The group forcibly entered campus early in the morning. They detonated explosives, stole computer equipment and broke ...

Attack Types: Other

Date of Incident: December 05, 2022

Region & Country:Eastern Africa | Kenya

Institution(s):Machakos University

On December 5, 2022, police shot and killed one student during a demonstration outside Machakos University. Students were protesting the lack of sufficient security on campus, following a violent attack on a student on December 1. Students reportedly engaged the ...

Attack Types: Killings, Violence, Disappearances

Date of Incident: December 05, 2022

Region & Country:Southern Asia | Nepal

Institution(s):Unspecified Institution(s)

On December 5, 2022, police intervened and reportedly arrested 10 students affiliated with the Nepal Students Union (NSU) protesting in front of the Myanmar Embassy in Lalitpur, in response to news that a military court in Myanmar had sentenced to ...

Attack Types: Imprisonment

Date of Incident: December 01, 2022

Region & Country:Central Africa | Congo (DRC-Kinshasa)

Institution(s):University of Kisangani

On December 1, 2022, police clashed with and reportedly opened fire on students protesting on the University of Kisangani campus. The students were demanding an adjustment to the academic calendar to make more time to prepare for final exams, as some ...

Attack Types: Killings, Violence, Disappearances