Academic Freedom Media Review

Posted: 10-12-2021 02:08 | Views: 622

December 3 - 9, 2021

Scholars at Risk monitors reports of threats to academic freedom and higher education communities worldwide, including media articles, blogs, opinion pieces and other announcements. Unless otherwise indicated (such as in articles written by SAR), the language and views contained in the search results reflect those of the originating author and/or publication and do not necessarily represent the views of Scholars at Risk or its members, affiliates, board or staff. An archive of the Media Review is available on our website.

GLOBAL: Academic freedom under fire across globe, warns Scholars at Risk

Matthew Reisz, Times Higher Education, 12/9

Free to Think 2021, the annual report of the Scholars at Risk Academic Freedom Monitoring Project, features an increased number of attacks on academic freedom in countries such as Afghanistan, Brazil, China, Myanmar, Turkey, and Zimbabwe.

GLOBAL: Scholars at Risk – 332 attacks on HE in 65 countries in a year

Karen MacGregor, University World News, 12/9

Free to Think 2021, the report of Scholars at Risk’s Academic Freedom Monitoring Project, details an “unremitting and destructive deluge” of attacks on scholars, students, and higher education institutions around the world. There were 332 attacks in 65 countries over the past year.

INDIA: Academic Freedom Is Under Attack Globally – Including in India: Report

The Wire Staff, The Wire, 12/9

Scholar’s at Risk’s Free to Think 2021 report describes incidents in which authorities in India wrongfully detained and prosecuted scholars and students under anti-terrorism laws such as the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act for expressing contradicting views to India’s ruling party, the Bharatiya Janata Party.

BRAZIL: Authorities undermine academic freedom in 2021

Bruno Lupion, Deutsche Welle, 12/9

In Scholars at Risk’s annual Free to Think 2021 report, the organization states it is "deeply concerned" with the state of academic freedom in Brazil. Lawsuits to punish academics for their opinions and attempts to reduce the role of professors and students in choosing deans "represent a dangerous departure from the democratic traditions and norms" of Brazilian universities.

SWEDEN / IRAN: Ahmadreza Djalali honoured with Courage to Think Award 2021

Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 12/9

Scholars at Risk presented its annual Courage to Think Award to Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali, who has been held in an Iranian prison for more than five years and was sentenced to death in 2017. The award recognizes individuals or organizations who have made a unique commitment to the protection of academics and the promotion of academic freedom.

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AFRICA: Report warns that space for free flow of ideas is shrinking

Wachira Kigotho, University World News, 12/9

Scholars at Risk’s Free to Think 2021 report details restrictions imposed by several African governments, specifically in Nigeria, South Africa and Zimbabwe, curtailing the freedom of movement of academics and students and enacting policies which frustrate the free flow of ideas.

INDIA: Anti-terror laws used against scholars erode academic freedom

Shuriah Niazi, University World News, 12/9

Scholars at Risk’s Free to Think 2021 report details the erosion of academic freedom in India. The report describes how Indian authorities use anti-terrorism laws to prosecute scholars who express views critical of the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

BRAZIL: International network issues warning about risk to academic freedom in Brazil [PORTUGUESE]

Monica Bergamo, Folha de S.Paulo via Yahoo!, 12/9

Scholars at Risk published its Free to Think 2021 report and said it is "deeply concerned" with academic freedom in Brazil. The report cites cuts in funding for federal institutions, attacks carried out against higher education faculty, and rector appointments by President Jair Bolsonaro.

AFGHANISTAN / UNITED KINGDOM: Chevening alumni in Afghanistan ‘fearful for their future’

Chris Parr, Research Professional News, 12/8

An expert on Afghan migration says that alumni of the United Kingdom’s Chevening Scholar program in Afghanistan, awaiting resettlement in the UK, have been forced into hiding.

BANGLADESH: Bangladesh sentences 20 to death for student murder

Faisal Mahmud, Al Jazeera, 12/8

A court sentenced 20 Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology university students to death and five more to life imprisonment for the killing of Abrar Fahad, a fellow student who had criticized the government on social media. Fahad was beaten to death on October 7, 2019 by student members of Chhatra League, the student wing of the ruling Awami League party.

AFGHANISTAN / UNITED STATES: Afghan women scholars find safe haven at Cornell

Susan Kelley, Cornell Chronicle, 12/7
Following the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban, 150 students from Asian University for Women were evacuated via one of the last flights out of Kabul in late August. Nine of those female undergraduates will arrive at Cornell this month, where the university will provide academic assistance, orientation sessions, care packages, donated laptops, financial aid, and cultural training for the staff assisting them.

UNITED STATES: Florida professors cite fear of state politicians on campus

Mike Schneider, AP via The Washington Post, 12/7

A faculty report prepared by a committee of professors of the University of Florida’s Faculty Senate found that professors and researchers were reluctant to speak out about university efforts to restrict research or offer unpopular viewpoints out of fear of retaliation, losing their jobs, or other punishment.

AFGHANISTAN / SPAIN: The rector of the private University of Kabul threatened by the Taliban requests asylum in Spain

Mercè Rivas Torres, El Diario, 12/5
The rector of Kabul's Gharjistan University, Naser Ali Rahmani, has recently applied for a visa to Spain so that he and his family can travel to the country and request political asylum. The rector is currently in hiding in Islamabad under death threat from the Taliban regime that accuses him of "creating an environment free of religion and giving the opportunity to commit sin.”

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