News

Network announcements, press releases and other updates from the SAR Secretariat

Belarus: EUA, ESU and SAR call on Europe to take action against criminalisation of students and academics

The European University Association (EUA), the European Students’ Union (ESU) and Scholars at Risk (SAR) join together to condemn the criminalisation of students and academics in Belarus. They call on the Belarusian authorities to protect and promote academic freedom and

Release Detained Belarusian Students

Scholars at Risk has sent to Belarusian authorities the below letter raising concern over the detention of a growing number of students in apparent retaliation for their nonviolent participation in protests across Belarus. SAR calls on Belarusian authorities to secure

Scholars at Risk May 2021 Newsletter

Scholars at Risk is pleased to share their May 2021 Newsletter. Click here to read this document.

Decline Sheikh Zayed Book Award in light of human rights violations in the UAE

Scholars at Risk (SAR) joins 26 organizations in asking the recipients of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award to decline the award and withdraw from the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair in light of human rights abuses in the United Arab

Sinead O’Gorman: Academic freedom in a complex world

SAR Europe Director Sinead O’Gorman spoke with the European Association for International Education about the history of Scholars at Risk and its fight for academic freedom. Listen to the episode here.

Grant Thai students the right to bail

Scholars at Risk (SAR) has sent to Thai authorities the below letter raising concern over the rapidly deteriorating health of two detained students, Mr. “Penguin” Parit Chiwarak and Ms. “Rung” Panusaya Sitthijirawattanakul. SAR calls on Thai authorities to immediately secure

China: Revoke sanctions on international scholars and respect free and open scholarly inquiry

Scholars at Risk (SAR) denounces China’s sanctions on scholars and academic institutions in the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) for their research activities—a grave threat to global academic freedom. SAR calls on Chinese authorities to revoke the

Researchers fleeing persecution are being supported into skilled posts in industry, writes Peter McGuire

A piece by Peter McGuire for Maynooth University covering Scholars at Risk and the Inspireurope project. The shelling hit Damascus in 2012. Profesor Souad Odeh, a lecturer in information science, knew she had to escape the escalating Syrian civil war.

Universities call for Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali’s release

On the five-year anniversary of Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali’s arrest, Scholars at Risk (SAR) remains alarmed at his continued detention and repeated denial of medical care, and encourages immediate action to rectify the human rights violations surrounding his arrest, detention, and

Defending the Line on Academic Freedom

A piece by SAR Executive Director Robert Quinn for Modern Language Association (MLA) Profession. On 21 November 2018, Daniela Tejada, twenty-seven years old, watched, shocked, in an Abu Dhabi courtroom as her husband, Matthew Hedges, thirty-one years old and a

Academic Self-Censorship Is a ‘Brain Drag’ on Arab Universities and Societies

A piece by SAR Executive Director Robert Quinn for Al-Fanar Media. Have you ever had a question that you refrained from asking, because of what someone might think? Or had an idea that you were afraid to share, because of

What is academic freedom?

A piece by SAR Executive Director Robert Quinn for the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Academic freedom is simple, complex, and essential. It must be protected. Academic freedom is a guarantor of quality. It is the freedom to carry out research,

Hungarian government in spotlight over academic freedom

A piece by Ben Upton for Research Europe covering SAR’s UPR submission on Hungary. Scholars at Risk network calls for international pressure, but government defends policies and motives The international academic freedom network Scholars at Risk has called on the

Researchers at risk need dedicated support

An article co-authored by SAR Europe Programme Manager Orla Duke for Research Europe. Attacks on scholars, students, staff and higher education institutions are occurring with alarming and growing frequency. Last November’s Free to Think 2020 report, published by Scholars at Risk (SAR),

Egypt: 74 NGOs urge Egyptian authorities to release Ahmed Samir Santawy

Scholars at Risk joins 73 organizations in calling for the immediate release of Ahmed Samir Santawy. Mr. Santawy is a postgraduate student at Central European University in Vienna, Austria, who is detained in Egypt in apparent connection with his studies