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Building a Scholars at Risk- Germany Section:

German HEIs

Protecting Threatened Scholars;

Promoting Academic Freedom

DAAD, Bonn

November 14, 2013

Temporary relocation, job

assistance, legal and other

referrals &

urgent actions

Monitoring/reporting on

attacks; advocating for

accountability and increased

protections

Leveraging the

skills and resources of higher

education institutions and

individuals worldwide

Workshops &

publications

exploring higher education’s

role as a pillar of free society

Scholars at Risk is a comprehensive

defender of everyone’s right

to think, question and share ideas,

freely & safely

PROTECTION PREVENTION

NETWORK PROMOTION

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Scholars at Risk Network

Facts & Figures

• Over 1900 requests for assistance from scholars in 122 countries (since 2000)

• Over 330 member institutions in 35 countries, 9 partner networks/SAR sections

• SAR has assisted 500+ scholars directly with temporary academic visits & 700+ with other services

• SAR places 60+ scholars annually & provides advice, referrals, counselling & other services to 75-100

• SAR monitors attacks in 50+ countries

• Over 1,000 have participated in workshops, trainings, conferences to promote academic freedom

Partner Networks & SAR National Sections

SAR’s partner networks (i) coordinate SAR-related activities and (ii) represent their country, region or network in the wider, international SAR Network. They vary in size, structure, activities and local vs. SAR international role.

Partner networks and sections:

• CARA-SAR UK Universities Network (co-organized with CARA)(2006)

• Israel SAR Network (co-organized with Arcadia)(2006)

• Grupo 9 de Universidades, Spain (co-organized with Grupo 9)(2008)

• African Academic Freedom Network (co-organized with NEAR) (2008)

• Arab Society for Academic Freedom (co-organized with NEAR) (2008)

• Scholars at Risk, Irish Section (co-organized with Universities Ireland)(2009)

• UAF-Scholars at Risk Network, Netherlands (co-organized with UAF)(2009)

• Scholars at Risk, Norway Section (2011)

• Scholars at Risk, Canada Section (2012)

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Why are scholars attacked?

• To silence dissent and control the quality and flow of information in society

– Content-based attacks

– Status-based attacks

• Source of attacks may be political, governmental, military, police, paramilitary, terrorist, criminal, business, religious and more

What do they do?Where do they come from?

Source Regions & Disciplines

Types of Threats Life/liberty threats

• Harassment– Including surveillance, physical or

sexual intimidation

• Censorship/silencing

• Risk of death/disappearance

• Abuse/violence

• Arrest/imprisonment

• Death/disappearance

• Exile (internal/external)

Career/quality threats

• Obstruction in hiring/promotion– Including professional or personal

slander and defamation

• Interference in research– Including denial of accesses or

permissions, confiscation of notes and computer files

• Resource limitations

• Restrictions on travel/collaboration

Responses: Protection, Prevention & Promotion

Protection Activities:

• Information & Advice

• Temporary relocation

• Scholars in Prison/advocacy

Prevention/Promotion

Activities:

• SAR Speaker Series

• Monitoring and reporting

• Site visits e.g. Tunisia

• Workshops, trainings

• Research & publications

SAR scholar teaching at Cornell University, 2010Cornell University,

SAR PSAR Project Monitoring Attacks on Higher Education, 2013 Attacks on

SAR co-sponsored conference, Tunis, Tunisia, February 22-22, 2013

Launch of Scholars at Risk, Norway Section, Oslo, May 23, 2011

Get Involved: Possible Activities for German members

� Join the network

� Appoint a primary representative to the SAR network

� Form a SAR committee at your institution

� Invite a scholar to campus for a speaking engagement

� Advocate on behalf of an imprisoned scholar

� Contribute an article to the University Values Bulletin

� Organize a performance of a ‘Courage to Think Monologue’

� Host a workshop/training on academic freedom

� Participate in SAR’s project to monitor attacks on higher education

� Participate in SAR’s research projects e.g. AF Index

� Host a scholar (for 6 months up to 2 years)

� Organize HEIs at regional/national level to participate in SAR activities

Scholars at Risk- Germany Section: Proposed Next Steps

� Lessons learned from other sections/models

� Active involvement from 2 to 3 key institutions

� Form planning committee

� Awareness-raising activities e.g. SAR Speaker Series events, Courage to Think monologue, Host a scholar

� Outreach to key stakeholders e.g. HEIs, NGOs, associations, government, policymakers

� Invitation to all German HEIs to join planning meeting

� Launch

� Ongoing coordination of SAR activities in Germany

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More information:

Scholars at Risk Network

New York University

194 Mercer Street, Rm 410

New York, NY 10012, USA

Website: www.scholarsatrisk.org

Email: scholarsatrisk@nyu.edu

sinead.ogorman@nyu.edu