Network Reflections

UiO on swift and flexible support for at-risk scholars

The University of Oslo (UiO) has been a member of Scholars at Risk (SAR) since 2001 and has received more than twenty scholars on one or two-year stays. Many countries and universities have calls for applications, where researchers at risk

The Council for At-Risk Academics (Cara)

Cara has been working since 1933 and SAR is a relative newcomer (!), but we cooperate very closely in many ways and I value our relationship very highly. SAR has achieved an enormous amount and it’s no exaggeration to say

Growing support for at-risk scholars in SAR Flanders

In the autumn of 2021, five universities in Belgium’s northern region of Flanders decided to intensify their support of SAR’s activities. By December 10th, on International Human Rights Day 2021, we officially formed a SAR Flanders section. Since then, two

“Courage, determination, dignity, and life-long friends” at the University of Agder, Norway

The University of Agder (UiA) has been a member of Scholars at Risk (SAR) since 2009 and was instrumental in the creation of a Norwegian section in 2011. In the past six years, Agder has supported nine scholars, and also

A Window of Opportunity to Act in Sweden

In the early years, when SAR Sweden launched in 2016, very few scholars were hosted in the country. Over time, we expanded through outreach to universities and actors outside academia, developed new funding streams, and took advantage of opportunities to

Arts Academy’s Creative Support for Ukrainian Scholars

Given the exodus of over 3 million Ukrainian refugees to Poland, Polish universities are committed to assisting the global higher education community in welcoming and protecting at-risk scholars. The Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, Poland, a recent

The American Psychological Association

The American Psychological Association (APA) is an enthusiastic and long-term affiliate member of Scholars at Risk (SAR). Our strategic plan includes several components that underlie our engagement. One of our strategic goals is to “utilize psychology to make a positive

How Carleton University’s Remote Scholars Program enables academics to continue their research

Carleton University began hosting scholars at risk remotely in the spring of 2020. It was interesting timing because it coincided with the onset of the global pandemic and it felt like everyone was working remotely at the beginning. Despite the

Expanding SAR Switzerland

The Swiss Section of Scholars at Risk has its roots in 2008, when the first higher education institution in Switzerland joined the global SAR network. SAR Switzerland thereafter gradually grew in size and strength. The number of at-risk scholars hosted

KU Leuven on lessons learned in scholar hosting

In 2021, KU Leuven welcomed the first two academics to be hosted by the university through the Scholars at Risk Network. The experience, while at times difficult because of COVID-19, has been rewarding for the scholars and the university. It has

Hosting at Whitman College

Whitman is a small liberal arts college in Walla Walla, Washington in the US. Our mission is to provide an academically rigorous education to an exclusively undergraduate student body. Since Fall 2017, Whitman has hosted three SAR scholars in: Politics

EPFL: First Time Hosts

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) joined Scholars at Risk (SAR) in 2014. Two years after joining in 2016, EPFL contributed to the establishment of the Swiss section of SAR, which today comprises 39 partner institutions. EPFL’s hosting engagement began

Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)

Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)’s engagement with Scholars at Risk began in 2011 with the Norwegian rectors’ formation of a national section. Since then, NTNU has hosted eight scholars from Iran, Eritrea, Turkey, Syria, Yemen, and Pakistan. Initially,

Violent Repression and Government Overreach Fuel Global Decline in Academic Freedom, Free to Think 2026 Report Finds

NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2026—Violent state repression and government interference in university autonomy lead the global decline in academic freedom, according to Scholars at Risk’s (SAR) new Free to Think 2026 report. Documenting 382 attacks on higher education communities in

Introducing Scholars at Risk

Scholars at Risk is an international network of institutions and individuals whose mission it is to protect scholars and promote academic freedom. Learn more about SAR’s mission and the courageous scholars we are honored to assist in the below video

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