SAR Press Release:

Five threatened intellectuals to deliver talk at New York University on September 20
SAR-PR-04-10 - September 7, 2004

New York, NY - Scholars at Risk together with the NYU Law Students for Human Rights will host a brownbag lunchtime seminar entitled "Defending 'Dangerous' Ideas: Responding to Attacks on Intellectuals" featuring visiting formerly-threatened intellectuals from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Chad and Iran. The seminar will introduce the work of Scholars at Risk and will allow participants to meet the scholars and to learn from their first-hand experiences of working under threat to promote new ideas, new policies and new ways of thinking.

"These scholars are true champions of intellectual freedom and human rights," said Scholars at Risk director Robert Quinn. "They represent the kind of inspiring, courageous voices who are helping to shape a better future for the world; the kind of voices that Scholars at Risk was created to honor and to defend," added Quinn.

Scholars at Risk is a NYU-based, international network of more than 90 universities and colleges working to promote academic freedom and to defend the human rights of scholars and scholarly communities worldwide. Scholars at Risk's primary activity is to arrange short-term visits to Network-member institutions for scholars who suffer because of their work, prominence, or the exercise of fundamental human rights. Scholars at Risk relocated to NYU from the University of Chicago in late 2003.

NYU has hosted two scholars through the Network, including Dr. Saad Eddin Ibrahim, a renowned sociologist who was imprisoned and tried in Egypt on charges widely denounced as politically motivated. NYU is preparing to host a scholar from Iran in 2005. For more information, visit: http://scholarsatrisk.nyu.edu or call (212) 998-2179.

"We are very excited to welcome these five important intellectuals to NYU--it is an excellent opportunity to introduce Scholars at Risk to those in the NYU community that aren't already familiar with our work," said Quinn.

NYU Law Students for Human Rights (LSHR) seeks to promote global human rights, establish a forum for education, advocacy and direct service related to human rights, build a community for future practitioners of human rights law, and study and advance strategic human rights issues through speakers and other activities. For more information about LSHR, visit: http://www.law.nyu.edu/studentorgs/lshr.

Thanks also to the Institute of International Education's Scholar Rescue Fund, which awarded fellowships to each of the scholars to support their work in the US. (www.iie.org/SRF)

The seminar will be held on September 20, 12:30 - 1:45 pm at New York University (Furman Hall, Rm. 310, located at 245 Sullivan Street, New York, NY). It is free and open to the public. Media and non-NYU persons interested in attending the event should arrange access by contacting Carla Stuart at 212-998-2179 or

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