Host a Scholar

Courage to Think: Intellectual Freedom in Tunisia and the Arab Spring

In order to raise awareness of the importance of defending intellectual freedom and freedom of expression in Tunisia, SAR and the NYU Center for Dialogues invited four Tunisian professors to New York for a series of working meetings and a public event.  The event, held on April 9th, entitled "Courage to Think: Intellectual Freedom in Tunisia and the Arab Spring" and co-sponsored by the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice at the NYU School of Law and Human Rights Watch consisted of an open discussion of the threat that censorship poses to Tunisian communities, specifically analyzing the nature and origin of the spreading violence that has been increasing over the past year.

The Forbidden Science Monologues

From March 22 through April 3, 2012, a series of monologues were presented in cities across the Netherlands by SAR's Dutch partner, the Foundation for Refugee Students (UAF). The series, titled "The Forbidden Science Monologues", was based on true stories of at-risk scholars and academics from West Africa, Iraq, Iran and Colombia. For more information please visit UAF's webpage for the event.

Celebration of SAR's 10th Anniversary

On October 3-4, 2011, Scholars at Risk marked our 10th anniversary by celebrating the extraordinary people and institutions that have done so much to help so many endangered scholars worldwide. The conference and celebration--including a series of dialogues with provocative minds--were held at New York University. Click here for conference highlights.

Launch of the Scholars at Risk- Norway Section

The Scholars at Risk Norway Section was launched on May 23, 2011 at Oslo University College (HiO). The Norwegian Section represents Norway in the wider international Scholars at Risk Network and organizes and coordinates Scholars at Risk activities in Norway. You can read more about the launch here.

Engaging Hearts and Minds: Justice and Global Citizenship in Action

March 8, 2011 – In March, SAR member university Centennial College, Canada hosted a conference entitled “Engaging Hearts and Minds: Justice and Global Citizenship in Action”. Scholars at Risk Senior Program officer Clare Robinson, together with SAR scholar Clement Jumbe and SAR university representative for Centennial College Dr. Eva Aboagye presented a panel called “Scholars at Risk: Partnering with Colleges to Defend Threatened Scholars”. Together they discussed the plight of scholars worldwide who are attacked because of their words, their ideas and their place in society, as well as provided an introduction to the work of Scholars at Risk and its member colleges and universities.

Human Rights and Academic Freedom at Cambridge University

February 11, 2011- The Centre of Governance and Human Rights  at Cambridge University, together with SAR’s UK partner, the Council for Assisting Refugee Academics , and the Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities , co-hosted a seminar exploring the issues of human rights and academic freedom from a variety of perspectives. Speakers included refugee academics Mrs. Latefa Guemar and Mr. Admore Tshum, British scholar Dr. Terence Karran, and Liberal Democrat MP for Cambridge City Mr. Julian Huppert. Focusing on how infringement on academic freedom affects all scholars, the seminar aimed to highlight positive steps the international academic community can take to support colleagues in need, increasing awareness of the difficulties faced by academics around the world and the effect this has on the pursuit of knowledge.

On Behalf of Scholars Who Have Been Imprisoned

December 16, 2010 – Scholars at Risk, together with member university Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam and the University Assistance Fund organized a campus event titled “VU connected” on behalf of scholars who have been imprisoned because of their work or ideas. A VU professor from Iran presented a short film, and students and faculty wrote letters and cards expressing support for imprisoned scholars and their families. Weeks later, the daughter of an imprisoned academic wrote back saying, “We received your cards [on behalf of our father]. It was so touching.  We don't know what to say; there are no words to express our gratitude. Thank you so much.” 100 people were present at the event and over 80 cards were signed and sent to scholars and their families.

The Power of Ideas, The Future of Iran

October 12, 2010 –University of Amsterdam, a Scholars at Risk member, and the University Assistance Fund, SAR’s partner organization in the Netherlands, held an event entitled “The Power of Ideas, The Future of Iran” featuring distinguished Iranian intellectuals. Human rights lawyer Mohammad Mostafaei, lecturer Behnam Taebi, women’s rights activist Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh, and Professor Sohrab Razzaghi discussed how the power of ideas is shaping the future of Iran. The panel also explored the responsibility of intellectual communities worldwide to stand together in solidarity with their colleagues to defend intellectual space. The discussion was moderated by Paul Aarts, lecturer in International Relations at the Department of Political Science of the University of Amsterdam. The panel covered themes including the current conditions in Iran for human rights activist, lawyers and other intellectuals, the threats they are facing, the situation regarding the position of women, women’s rights and the rights of women scholars, as well as shared ideas on what Iran’s future will look like in the coming years.

Refugee Contributions to British Life

May 12, 2010 - Dr. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, delivered  a lecture entitled Enriching the Arguments: the Refugee Contribution to British Life at the Bloomsbury Theatre, London. The event was jointly sponsored by the Council for Assisting Refugee Academics (CARA) and University College London (UCL), and was attended by prestigious figures from academia, religious groups, politics and the NGO and legal sectors, as well as diplomats and commentators. The Archbishop discussed the practical contributions that refugee academics have made to British life, and the importance of intellectual freedom and critical reasoning in modern-day society. The UCL UK University Network representative, Professor Michael Worton, also stressed the need for universities to be places of welcome for refugee scholars, quoting Timothy Redcliffe by stating that "universities should be places where we learn to talk to strangers."

Herman Winick Accepts Andrei Sakharov Prize

March 4, 2010 – Herman Winick, SAR Scholar-Advocate and Professor emeritus at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) and the Applied Physics Department of Stanford University, accepted the 2010 Andrei Sakharov Prize at the meeting of the American Physical Society (APS) last week in Washington D.C. Also accepting the award were Joseph Birman of the City College of New York and the City University of New York, and Morris (Moishe) Pripstein of the National Science Foundation. The Andrei Sakharov Prize is an honor awarded every two years by the APS in recognition of scientists who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and achievements in upholding human rights. Winick began focusing on human rights activities in the 1980s when he worked on behalf of dissidents from the Soviet Union, China and other countries. In the years since, Winick has worked tirelessly on behalf of human rights throughout his career and has been instrumental in the success stories of several Scholars at Risk scholars from around the globe. [Photo courtesy of APS.] more »   

Protecting Education from Attack

February 11, 2010 – Scholars at Risk staff participated in a meeting of experts, NGO specialists and United Nations agency representatives who gathered to discuss the steps necessary to better strengthen the protection of education from attack. Held at Human Rights Watch's New York offices, the meeting provided a forum to consider the possible formation of a coalition dedicated to defending education from attack in part through joint advocacy, information sharing and collaborative action. Over the following several months, steps were taken to formalize this initiative, now called the Global Coalition for Protecting Education from Attack. Scholars at Risk is honored to be a part of the group establishing this new work.

Iranian Nobel Winner Launches Scholars at Risk, Ireland Section