New Hosts Events News New Alerts Gifts to SAR

New Hosts

 Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands, offered a one year position to a scholar from Yemen. This placement was organized in cooperation with SAR’s partner in The Netherlands, the Foundation for Refugee Students/University Assistance Fund (UAF).  Clark University, USA, welcomed an Ivorian professor to campus for the fall semester.  Freie Universität Berlin, Germany, welcomed two scholars to campus: an Iranian professor, who is taking up a one-year visiting scholar position, and an Iranian doctoral student, who is pursuing research on an 18 month- long grant.  New York University, USA, welcomed a Syrian scholar to campus for the 2014-15 academic year.  University of Pittsburgh, USA, welcomed a Sri Lankan professor to campus for the 2014-15 academic year.

One of the above scholars is in receipt of a fellowship from the Institute of International Education’s Scholar Rescue Fund.

Events

 September 1, Norway: The SAR-Norway Section will hold its Steering Committee Meeting at Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences (HIOA) to discuss SAR activities in Norway in the upcoming year. Steering committee members from across Norway will participate, along with a representative from Malmo University, Sweden who will also attend to learn about best practices for hosting scholars.  September 16-19, Czech Republic: SAR European Director, Sinead O’Gorman, will represent SAR at the 2014 European Association of International Education (EAIE) annual conference to be held in Prague. Sinead will present SAR’s proposal for an MOU on higher education values; participate in a dialogue on peace-building and international education; and alongside SAR partners in the Netherlands and 2 SAR scholars will present on opportunities for HEIs in Europe and beyond to engage in SAR activities. Those interested in arranging meetings with SAR during the event are encouraged to get in touch in advance at [email protected]  September 18-19, Sweden: SAR Executive Director, Robert Quinn, and the chair of the SAR-Norway Section will participate in a conference on the occasion of the 26th Anniversary of the Magna Charta Universitatum, to be held at Uppsala University in Sweden. The conference theme “University Integrity—Society’s Benefit” will discuss codes of conduct of academic work, academic integrity and its value to society at large. In a workshop session on protecting threatened scholars, Robert Quinn will present on SAR activities alongside representatives from the SAR-Norway section, and scholars from Iran and Turkey. For further information, please see: http://www.uu.se/en/magnacharta  October 2, Netherlands: The annual meeting of the UAF-Scholars at Risk network in the Netherlands and Belgium will take place at UAF offices in Utrecht. SAR scholars in the Netherlands and Belgium and representatives of all member institutions in both countries are encouraged to participate along with those interested in getting involved. For further information, please contact [email protected]

News

Chris Tatara, one of SAR’s summer 2014 interns, shares about his experiences working at SAR’s New York headquarters: https://www.iwu.edu/news/2014/08-human-rights-internships.html .

New Alerts Scholars at Risk recently circulated alerts or information updates on the following scholars. For more information on SAR’s efforts on behalf of imprisoned scholars, please visit: http://scholarsatrisk.nyu.edu/Education-Advocacy/Alerts- Scholars-in-Prison.php. • Ilham Tohti of China (Economics)

Gifts to SAR Since August 1

 Jenny Holzer  Henry Heaphy in honor of Alfred Babo  Harvey Dale Dear friends,  Following are the summaries of scholars currently seeking placement assistance. We ask for your help in reviewing the information and encourage you to share it with your institution and other colleagues who may be able to help.

• Iraqi scholar of English literature • Congolese scholar of political science • Ivorian scholar of religion • Syrian scholar of theater and English literature • Syrian scholar of civil engineering • Togolese scholar of educational administration

 More information is available from the SAR network office at [email protected] and +1 212 998- 2179. Thank you for your help. Scholars of the Week IRAQ-743 Field: English Literature Risk: Threat of re-arrest/violence (displaced) Language: English, Arabic (fluent) Education: PhD ABD (UK) Seeking: Research and teaching opportunities in North America and the Middle East beginning Spring 2015

DRCO-570 Field: Political Science, Sociology, Conflict Resolution Risk: Threat to life/person Language: French (fluent), Kiswahili (fluent) Education: MA Seeking: Opportunities beginning immediately to continue his teaching or research in French-speaking Africa, Europe, or North America

IVOR-518 Field: Religion, History, Sociology, Francophone Studies Risk: Threat to life/person (displaced) Language: French (native), English (intermediate) Education: PhD (France) Seeking: Opportunities beginning immediately to continue teaching or research in a safe and stable environment

SYRI-579 Field: Drama, English Literature Risk: Threat to life/person, General/situational risk (displaced) Language: Arabic (native), English (fluent) Education: MA (United States) Seeking: Opportunities beginning immediately to continue his research and teaching in the United States SYRI-550 Field: Civil Engineering Risk: Threat to life/person (displaced) Language: Arabic, Polish (fluent), English (intermediate) Education: PhD (Poland) Seeking: Research or teaching opportunities beginning immediately.

Scholars at Risk's Academic Freedom MONITOR identifies alleged threats or attacks on higher education communities and their members worldwide, with the aim of raising awareness and mobilizing action to protect vulnerable individuals, promote accountability and prevent future attacks. To report a new incident, provide updated information on a listed incident, or learn how you and your institution might participate in monitoring activities, email [email protected]. 2014 Type of incidents alleged* New incidents YTD incidents

25 76 Total # of incidents reported 14 39 Killings/violence/disappearances 3 18 Wrongful imprisonment 1 8 Wrongful prosecution 3 10 Retaliatory discharge/loss of position 3 3 Travel restrictions 5 12 Other Note: Rows do not equal "Total" because each incident may involve more than one type of conduct. Key developments:

In this digest, Scholars at Risk notes concern about deaths on campuses in Nigeria and Senegal, military action against universities in the West Bank and Gaza, restrictions on scholars in China and Tajikistan, retaliatory discharge in Malaysia, widespread campus unrest in Venezuela, kidnappings of students and scholars in Afghanistan, and the assassination or attempted assassination of professors in Iraq and Yemen. Priority incidents: Country/Territory: AFGHANISTAN Type(s): Killings, Violence, Disappearances Institution: Kandahar State University Date of incident: June 10, 2014 Date of report: June 12, 2014 Description: On June 10, 2014, an estimated 35 professors and 8-10 students from Kandahar State University were kidnapped in Ghazni province, Afghanistan. According to reports, Taliban-affiliated gunmen attacked a bus traveling from Kandahar to Kabul, carrying the students and professors home for a nation-wide, six-day university holiday, recently established to coincide with the upcoming Afghan elections. The attackers forced the professors and students off the bus and into other vehicles, where they were transported to unknown locations. One professor was injured during the attack and was later taken to a nearby hospital. As of this writing, the professors' and students' whereabouts remain unknown. However, it is reported that tribal elders have engaged in negotiations with the Taliban to secure their release. According to a spokesman for the governor of Kandahar, Taliban insurgents have indicated that the professors would be released following the runoff election scheduled to take place on June 14. Scholars at Risk is concerned about the attack and kidnapping of a group of professors and students, and about the ongoing threat to their physical safety and liberty. State officials have a responsibility to ensure the security of higher education communities, to prevent future attacks, and to hold perpetrators accountable.

Update: The professors were reportedly released from custody early Monday, June 23, 2014.

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See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-06-10-kandahar-state-university Country/Territory: CHINA Type(s): Imprisonment/Travel Restrictions Institution: Indiana University Date of incident: July 5, 2014 Date of report: July 7, 2014 Description: An American professor was denied entry to China despite having a valid visa, apparently in retaliation for nonviolent, expressive activity in the United States in support for detained Uighur scholar Ilham Tohti. According to reports, on July 5, 2014, Elliot Sperling, an associate professor of Central Eurasian Studies at Indiana University, arrived at Beijing International Airport where he was taken into custody by border officials, briefly interrogated, and denied entry into the country. His valid tourist visa was cancelled, and he was taken to a plane and forced to return to the United States. According to Sperling, border officials refused to tell him why he was being refused entry into China, and Chinese government sources have not commented on the case. Professor Sperling is an expert on the history of Tibet and Tibetan-Chinese relations, has never previously had visa problems, despite having traveled frequently to China, including having previously served as a visiting scholar at Peking University where he regularly gave lectures on Tibet. According to Sperling, he believes he was placed on a "blacklist" and denied entry into China because of his recent, public support for Professor Tohti, who has been detained in China since January 15, 2014 on charges of separatism. According to Sperling, “[t]here was obviously an order about me entered into the database.” “I saw no point in arguing. I mean, I had a pretty clear notion about why I was being denied entry. For me, it was clearly about Ilham.” Scholars at Risk is concerned about the denial of entry to a scholar, apparently in retaliation for nonviolent expressive activity which is protected under international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which China is a signatory. Scholars at Risk is especially concerned that the action against the scholar is in retaliation for the exercise of his professional responsibility to express concern for a detained colleague, and for negative impact such retaliation can have on academic freedom, institutional autonomy and the quality of higher education institutions, teaching and research in China. State authorities not only must refrain from such retaliation, but have an affirmative responsibility to protect academic freedom and institutional autonomy. Similarly, while States have the authority to regulate entry into their territory, denying entry based on the content of nonviolent professional expression would violate academic freedom and State obligations under international law.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-07-05-indiana-university Country/Territory: COLOMBIA Type(s): Other Institution: University of Pereira Date of incident: June 19, 2014 Date of report: July 9, 2014 Description: On June 19, 2014, a paramilitary group reportedly circulated a document on social media issuing death threats against ten student representatives and aspiring student representatives from Colombia’s University of Pereira. The document demanded that the students leave campus within 40 days, and refrain from enrolling in classes. In addition, two of the students have reported being personally approached and threatened in the days following the publication of the document, one by a person with a gun. The threatening document was reportedly signed by Aguilas Negras, a successor group to Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC), a right wing paramilitary organization that was demobilized in Columbia in 2004-2006. A number of the threatened students are reportedly affiliated with the left wing opposition party Unión Patriótica. The rector of the university, Luis Enrique Arango, has publicly condemned the threats against the students, and has indicated that the university would be contacting police authorities to respond. Scholars at Risk is concerned about violent threats against members of higher education communities. Such threats not only harm the immediate victims, but undermine academic freedom, institutional autonomy and the ability of higher education communities to serve their educational, research and social functions, harming all members of these communities and society generally.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-06-19-university-pereira Country/Territory: ETHIOPIA Type(s): Killings, Violence, Disappearances Institution: Makelle University Date of incident: July 8, 2014 Date of report: July 17, 2014 Description: On July 8, 2014, Abraha Desta, a political science lecturer Mekelle University, was reportedly arrested along with three other prominent Ethiopian opposition leaders. Reports indicate that Mr. Desta was arrested and detained in Mekelle, and, as of this report, is being held incommunicado. It has been reported that Mr. Desta’s arrest is a response to his involvement with the Arena Tigray party, a legally registered party, as well as political opinions he expressed on social media websites. No official charges have been made public, [4]

but it has been reported that he could face charges for terrorist offenses. Scholars at Risk is concerned about the arrest and incommunicado detention of a professor, apparently as a result of nonviolent expressive activity and his association with a legal political party, conduct that is expressly protected under international human rights instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Ethiopia is party. State officials are obligated to comply with internationally recognized standards of due process and fair trial, including the right to counsel and the right to a fair and public hearing. State officials also have a responsibility not to interfere with the rights to free expression and association, so long as they are exercised peacefully and responsibly. Intimidation, detention or prosecution aimed at limiting free expression and association undermine academic freedom and democratic society generally.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-07-08-makelle-university Country/Territory: ETHIOPIA Type(s): Loss of Position Institution: Ambo University Date of incident: July 2, 2014 Date of report: July 11, 2014 Description: On July 2, 2014, Zelalem Kibret, a lecturer of law at Ambo University who has been detained by the Ethiopian government since April 25, 2014, was reportedly fired from his position at the university for failing to report to work during the time he has been in custody. Professor Kibret was reportedly arrested in connection with his membership in the “Zone 9” forum, a bloggers’ group formed in response a narrowing of space for free expression in Ethiopia. He and his colleagues were reportedly charged with “working with foreign organizations claiming to be human rights activists to destabilize the nation” and “receiving funding in order to incite the public to violence via social media.” In a statement following the notification that Professor Zelalem had been fired, Dr. Lakew Wondimu, Academic and Research Vice President of the University, stated that "Zelalem has not been on the job for the past three months and had not responded to two previous notices, written within the past couple of months to report about his absence from the University, and the University has officially fired him from his post.” Dr. Wondimu stated further that “[t]he university has not received any formal report on the lecturer’s detention, and his ability to report,” and indicated that while Professor Zelalem was not expected to report to the university in person, he should have informed the university of his whereabouts in some fashion. Dr. Wondimu went on to state that if Professor Zelalem furnished evidence of his reasons for failing to come to work over the past three months, and if such evidence was accepted by the university, the university would consider reinstating him. Professor Zelalem's arrest and detention are a matter of public record in Ethiopia. He was held incommunicado from the time he was taken into custody until mid- May, when he was reportedly first allowed to see his lawyer. He was reportedly prevented from communicating with anyone else, including his family, until after the university announced its decision to fire him. Scholars at Risk is concerned about the dismissal of a scholar, resulting from his detention and legal proceedings which themselves were brought in apparent retaliation for the exercise of protected rights, including freedom of expression and association. Such dismissal compounds the harm caused by such detention and prosecution, further chills academic freedom, and undermines university values and democratic society generally.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-07-02-ambo-university

This is an update to an earlier report. To view, please click here. Country/Territory: IRAN Type(s): Prosecution Institution: University of Tehran Date of incident: June 18, 2014 Date of report: July 1, 2014 Description: Sadegh Zibakalam, a political science professor at the University of Tehran, was sentenced to 18- month in prison on June 18, 2014, after being convicted for “propaganda against the Islamic Republic regime,” “publishing falsehoods to create public anxiety,” and “insulting judges and Judiciary officials.” Zibakalam, an outspoken writer and political analyst who frequently appears on international news outlets including the BBC and al-Jazeera, had published open letters to the chief editor of Iran's Kayhan Newspaper and to Hamid Rasaei, a member of Iran's parliament, questioning the benefits of Iran's nuclear policy. In his letter to the newspaper, which was reportedly used as an exhibit in his prosecution, Professor Zibakalam asked “A country whose per capita medical treatment and education budget compares to that of under-developed African countries, its environment has turned into a big dumpster, …faces 5.6 million unemployed individuals, and has a thousand and one other problems, is it prudent to spend all its resources on its nuclear programs?” Separately, Professor Zibakalam had publicly challenged the trial process in the criminal bank fraud case of Mahafarid Khosravi, a case widely reported in Iran in which the defendant, a successful entrepreneur, was ultimately convicted and sentenced to death. Professor Zibakalam was sentenced to eighteen months in prison, one year for the former statement, and six months for the latter. According to a statement published in Persian by Zibakalam on his

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Facebook page, he is appealing the ruling. Scholars at Risk is concerned about the prosecution of a scholar in apparent retaliation for nonviolent, expressive activity which is related to his professional expertise and protected by internationally recognized human rights standards. State authorities have a responsibility not to interfere with scholars’ expressive activity, so long as that activity is undertaken peacefully and responsibly. Prosecution aimed at limiting such expressive activity undermines academic freedom and democratic society generally.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-06-18-university-tehran Country/Territory: IRAQ Types(s): Killings, Violence, Disappearances / Other Institution: al-Anbar University - College of Agriculture Date of incident: June 1, 2014 Date of report: June 25, 2014 Description: On June 1, 2014 at al-Anbar University, an Iraqi army sniper stationed near the school's College of Agriculture, reportedly opened fire, targeting a number of students as they took final exams. One female student, Sama Laith Mouayad, was killed, while an assistant dean and two other students were injured. Scholars at Risk is concerned about violent attacks on campus by security personnel. In addition to the harm to the immediate victims, such incidents have a chilling effect on academic freedom and institutional autonomy. State officials have a responsibility to ensure the security of higher education communities, to prevent future attacks, and to hold perpetrators of violent attacks accountable.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-06-01-al-anbar-university-college-agriculture Country/Territory: IRAQ Types(s): Killings, Violence, Disappearances / Imprisonment Institution: Anbar University Date of incident: June 7, 2014 Date of report: July 12, 2014 Description: On Saturday, June 7, 2014, armed militants stormed Anbar University in Ramadi, Iraq, reportedly killing three security guards stationed at the campus entrance. They then moved on to the campus, blew up a bridge that led to the university's gates, and seized a dormitory. There, they reportedly identified themselves as members of the militant group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) -- an al Qaeda splinter organization -- and instructed several students to remain in their rooms, while taking several dozen others hostage. The incident occurred during a period of increased sectarian violence between armed groups within Iraq's Sunni minority and Shia majority communities. The ISIS is a Sunni group with a history of violent attacks against Shiite Muslims. The incident ended and the students were released after a few hours, when Iraqi security forces staged a counterattack and forced the militants to withdraw from campus. Ultimately, no students were injured. Scholars at Risk is concerned about violent attacks on university campuses. Such attacks threaten the lives and well- being of members of higher education communities; undermine higher education functions, autonomy and academic freedom; and impair the ability of the higher education to serve its public mission. All members of higher education communities, and all members of society, benefit from this mission, and all parties to a conflict have a responsibility to respect the autonomy, safety and security of the higher education space.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-06-07-anbar-university Country/Territory: IRAQ Types(s): Killings, Violence, Disappearances Institution: Technical Institute of Baquba-Diyala Date of incident: June 9, 2014 Date of report: July 11, 2014 Description: On June 9, 2014, Mustafa Abdul Aziz Sadiq, a lecturer in the department of accounting at the Technical Institute of Baquba, was shot and killed by unidentified gunmen, using silencers, after leaving his house in Baquba, the provincial capital of Diyala located about 30 miles northeast of Baghdad. The following day, two bombs exploded in the cemetery where Professor Sadiq's funeral was held, killing or injuring as many as 20 people in attendance, including a number of Professor Sadiq's colleagues. Among the victims of the blasts was Faisal Khalil Ibrahim, a lecturer at the Technical Institute of Baquba. Professor Ibrahim was killed. Scholars at Risk is concerned about the targeted attack and killing of higher education personnel. In addition to the harm to the immediate victims, such incidents have a chilling effect on academic freedom and institutional autonomy. State officials have a responsibility to ensure the security of higher education communities, to prevent future attacks, and to hold perpetrators of violent attacks accountable.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-06-09-technical-institute-baquba-diyala Country/Territory: IRAQ

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Types(s): Killings, Violence, Disappearances Institution: al-Mustansiriya University-Baghdad Date of incident: June 20, 2014 Date of report: July 11, 2014 Description: On June 20, 2014, Professor Osama al-Rawi, a physics professor at al-Mustansiriya University in Baghdad, was reportedly kidnapped, along with two of his sons, by unidentified armed militia from their home in the al-Jami'a neighborhood in Baghdad's city center. Their bodies were found 24 hours later in the al-Baya'a neighborhood located on the southern outskirts of Baghdad. They had been shot. No one has claimed responsibility for the crime. Scholars at Risk is concerned about the kidnapping and apparently targeted killing of a higher education professional and members of his family. In addition to the harm to the immediate victims, such incidents have a chilling effect on academic freedom and institutional autonomy. State officials have a responsibility to ensure the security of higher education communities, to prevent future attacks, and to hold perpetrators of violent attacks accountable.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-06-20-al-mustansiriya-university-baghdad Country/Territory: MACAU Types(s):Loss of Position Institution: University of Macau Date of incident: August 13, 2014 Date of report: August 21, 2014 Description: The University of Macau has reportedly refused to renewal the contract of Bill Chou Kwok-ping, a professor of political science, in retaliation for his political activism. Professor Chou has long been an outspoken advocate of democratic reforms in the region, having publicly criticized government policies toward the media and participated in protests in support of increased press freedom and universal suffrage. He was recently elected vice president of the New Macau Association, a leading pro-democracy organization. The university reportedly began a disciplinary investigation of Professor Chou in November 2013, and in June 2014, suspended him for 24 days without pay on grounds of "imposing his political beliefs" on students, as well as failing to provide different perspectives in class and discriminating against students. According to Professor Chou, university officials informed him on August 13, 2014, that his contract was not being renewed. Although the university did not provide him with a reason for its decision, Professor Chou has indicated that the non- renewal of his contract was a result of his political activism, and not his job performance. Professor Chou indicated that a strong teaching record earned him a promotion to assistant professor in 2011. University officials have denied that their decision was motivated by Professor Chou's activism, and that his termination was consistent with relevant regulations and procedures. Scholars at Risk is concerned about allegations of the dismissal of an academic in retaliation for the content of his academic work or peaceful exercise of the right of free expression. State and university authorities have a responsibility not to interfere with academic freedom or expressive activity, so long as that activity is undertaken peacefully and responsibly. Retaliatory discharge aimed at limiting such expressive activity harms academic freedom and related higher education values including autonomy and social responsibility.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-08-13-university-macau Country/Territory: MALAYSIA Types(s): Loss of Position Institution: University of Malaya Date of incident: June 30, 2014 Date of report: August 1, 2014 Description: Dr. Mohamad Redzuan Othman, a political science professor at the University of Malaya was reportedly forced to resign his position as director of the Center for Democracy and Elections (UMCedel) and his position as dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences was not renewed, allegedly as a result of government dissatisfaction with UMCedel survey findings which were not favorable to the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition (including findings that the BN coalition Prime Minister Najib Razak trailed behind opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the 2013 general election, and that 60% of respondents preferred the opposition Pakatan Rakyat party’s pledges over the BN’s election pledges). According to university officials, the decision not to renew Professor Redzuan’s position as dean was based on normal internal procedures and was not due to pressure from any outside parties. The officials claimed his term as dean was not extended because he is eligible to retire next year, and that the decision to replace Professor Redzuan as the director of UMCedel was made to allow his successor (as dean) to familiarize himself with the role of director. Professor Redzuan contends that his position was terminated before his regular term had ended, and he was not planning to retire. Former deputy higher education minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah reportedly resigned as a research fellow at the university in support of Professor Redzuan, claiming that officials within the Ministry of Education had been calling for Professor Redzuan’s dismissal for several months. Scholars at Risk is concerned about the apparent dismissal of an academic in retaliation for the content of his academic work and peaceful exercise of the right of free expression. State and university authorities have a responsibility not to

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interfere with academic freedom or expressive activity, so long as that activity is undertaken peacefully and responsibly. Retaliatory discharge aimed at limiting such expressive activity undermines academic freedom and related higher education values including institutional autonomy and social responsibility.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-06-30-university-malaya Country/Territory: NIGERIA Types(s): Killings, Violence, Disappearances Institution: Kano State School of Hygiene Date of incident: June 23, 2014 Date of report: July 3, 2014 Description: An apparent suicide bombing occurred on the campus of Kano State School of Hygiene in northern Nigeria on June 23, 2014, killing eight people including the bomber, and wounding some 25. According to reports, the bomb, which had been concealed in a book bag, went off near the university's main gate, in an area frequented by students between classes. As of this report, police had questioned one suspect, but no arrests had been made and no one had claimed responsibility for the attack. Scholars at Risk is concerned about violent attacks on university campuses. Such attacks threaten the lives and well-being of members of higher education communities; undermine higher education functions and values, including autonomy and academic freedom; and impair the ability of higher education to serve its public mission. State authorities have a responsibility to ensure the security of academic communities, to prevent future attacks, and to hold perpetrators of violent attacks accountable.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-06-23-kano-state-school-hygiene Country/Territory: NIGERIA Types(s): Killings, Violence, Disappearances Institution: Kano State Polytechnic University Date of incident: July 30, 2014 Date of report: August 7, 2014 Description: An apparent suicide bombing occurred on the campus of Kano State Polytechnic University in Northern Nigeria on July 30, 2014, killing six, including the bomber, and injuring at least seven others. According to reports, the bomber had disguised herself as a student and detonated the bomb amongst students who were gathered around a notice board on the college’s campus. As of this report, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Nigerian authorities suspect Boko Haram is responsible. Scholars at Risk is concerned about violent attacks on university campuses. Such attacks threaten the lives and well-being of members of higher education communities; undermine higher education functions and values, including autonomy and academic freedom; and impair the ability of higher education to serve its public mission. State authorities have a responsibility to ensure the security of academic communities, to prevent future attacks, and to hold perpetrators of violent attacks accountable.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-07-30-kano-state-polytechnic-university Country/Territory: PALESTINE (OPT) Types(s): Other Institution: Birzeit University; Arab American University; Al Quds University; Palestine Polytechnic University Date of incident: June 19-22, 2014 Date of report: July 3, 2014 Description: Between June 19-22, 2014, Israeli military forces conducted raids of multiple West Bank universities. On the morning of Thursday, June 19, Israeli troops reportedly entered the campus of Birzeit University near Ramallah, raiding the Islamic student union and confiscating flags, posters and other materials used by a student group during recent student council elections. According to a statement by Birzeit University, Israeli troops “convert[ed] its academic facilities to military barracks,” “confiscate[ed] student property,” “wip[ed] out the [university’s] eastern and western gates, search[ed] parts of the Faculty of Science building and attempt[ed] to force open administrative offices.” The following morning, according to Palestinian sources including Ma’an News Agency, Israeli troops entered the campus of the Arab American University in Jenin, raiding and confiscating files from the student union and the headquarters of the Dean of Student Affairs. On June 22, Palestinian sources reported that troops destroyed the main gates of Palestine Polytechnic University in Hebron, entering the campus and confiscating computers from several university offices. Additionally, troops reportedly raided Al Quds University in East Jerusalem on June 22, entering the building of the law faculty and confiscating computers, Islamic flags and banners. The campus intrusions were reportedly part of a search for three Israeli teens kidnapped on June 12, 2014. The youths were found murdered near Hebron, in the West Bank, on June 30, sparking further violence and counter-violence, including the abduction and killing of a Palestinian youth and violent incidents involving civilians and Israeli and Palestinian security forces. Scholars at Risk condemns the abductions, killings and other acts of violence committed. Nevertheless, Scholars at Risk

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is concerned about allegations of forced entry and occupation of university campuses by state military forces, as well as seizures of documents, computers and other materials. Scholars at Risk recognizes that states have a responsibility to take reasonable measures to secure the safety of individuals at risk, including victims of kidnappings. However such measures must comply with recognized human rights standards. Entry into or control of higher education facilities must be based on particularized and reasonable suspicion, communicated to higher education leaders and stakeholders as early and fully as circumstances may reasonably permit. Arbitrary entry into or control of higher education facilities without such reasonable and particularized information, communicated properly, may violate recognized human rights standards and can undermine university autonomy and academic freedom, and impair the ability of higher education institutions to serve their educational, social and public functions, including imparting the skills and knowledge necessary for respectful discourse, understanding and peace-building.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-06-22-birzeit-university-arab-american-university- al-quds-university-palestine Country/Territory: PALESTINE (OPT) Types(s): Other Institution: Islamic University Date of incident: August 2, 2014 Date of report: August 21, 2014 Description: On August 2, 2014, an Israeli missile reportedly struck an administrative building on the campus of the Islamic University in Gaza, as part of the ongoing military conflict in the territory. No injuries were reported, but the missile reportedly inflicted major damage, leaving university facilities in ruins. Israeli officials have claimed that they targeted the university facilities because they were being used for military purposes by Hamas. University officials have denied these claims. Scholars at Risk is concerned about the alleged military use and targeting of university facilities in armed conflict. Parties must refrain from using higher education facilities for military purposes during active conflict. Parties to a conflict may only attack legitimate military targets; where a party suspects that a civilian facility -- such as a university building -- is being used for military purposes, that party has a duty to take every action practicable to verify that this suspicion is correct before initiating an attack. In the event of such an attack, parties must take all practicable precautions to avoid or minimize damage to civilian facilities. Further, parties must refrain from launching attacks which may be expected to cause disproportionate damage to civilian facilities.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-08-02-islamic-university Country/Territory: SENEGAL Types(s): Killings, Violence, Disappearances / Other Institution: Cheick Anta Diop University of Dakar Date of incident: August 14, 2014 Date of report: August 26, 2014 Description: On Thursday, August 14, 2014, Bassirou Faye, a student in the department of science and technology at Cheick Anta Diop University of Dakar (UCAD) was killed during riots between students and police. Protests at UCAD have been ongoing for several months, with students expressing grievances over a nearly year-long delay by the university in making grant and scholarship payments, and demanding an end to the permanent presence of police on campus, which has been ongoing since November 2013. On August 14, following a meeting with Senegal's Higher Education Minister, in which students unsuccessfully demanded that their grants be paid, student activists called a 72-hour strike. During the demonstrations that followed, students reportedly threw stones at police, while police deployed teargas to disperse the protesting crowds. As the conflict escalated, police reportedly entered campus dormitories, and ransacked and vandalized student property including computers and television sets. Faye was reportedly shot during an encounter with police as he was leaving his dormitory; he was immediately taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. Scholars at Risk is concerned about violence on university campuses, especially when resulting in the death of a student. While State and university authorities have a legitimate interest in maintaining order and protecting property, they must do so in ways that are proportional to the situation, that respect peaceful expression, and that minimize the risk of physical injury. Use of excessive force in response to campus unrest unnecessarily increases risks of physical harm to individuals and undermines higher education functions, academic freedom and institutional autonomy. Similarly, while students have the right to free expression, that right does not extend to violence or the destruction of property; on-campus expression must be undertaken in a manner that is consistent with university values including social responsibility. Student violence against persons or property also creates unnecessary risks of physical harm to individuals and undermines higher education functions, academic freedom and institutional autonomy.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-08-14-cheikh-anta-diop-university-dakar Country/Territory: TAIWAN Types(s): Travel Restrictions [9]

Institution: National Tsing Hua University Date of incident: June 24, 2014 Date of report: July 3, 2014 Description: On June 24, 2014, border officials denied three Taiwanese student activists visas to enter Hong Kong, on a trip to participate in pro-democracy rallies connected to Occupy Central with Love and Peace, a peaceful protest calling for universal suffrage in Hong Kong. Planned activities were organized by the New School for Democracy, an on-line school that promotes exchanges between activists in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Chen Wei-ting, Lin Fei-fan and Huang Kuo-chang -- co-founders of Taiwan’s student-led Sunflower movement, which in March 2014 had vocally opposed a trade agreement between China and Taiwan -- applied on-line for visas to travel to Hong Kong the week prior to the scheduled rallies. Although the activists reported that their visa applications fully complied with applicable regulations, all three applications were denied. Following the denial of his visa application, Chen, a graduate student at National Tsing Hua University, attempted to travel to Hong Kong using a “Taiwan Compatriot’s Travel Document” – a permit issued by Chinese authorities that allows Taiwanese citizens to travel to China and Hong Kong. Chen reported, however, that upon arrival at Hong Kong International Airport, customs officials took him aside, searched him, and informed him that his travel document had been nullified, despite the fact that it was not scheduled to expire until 2018. Customs officials then escorted him to a plane bound for Taiwan. Scholars at Risk is concerned about apparent attempts to retaliate for or restrict academic and expressive freedoms by limiting student mobility. State authorities have a responsibility to protect academic freedom, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, and to refrain from imposing arbitrary restrictions on movement intended to limit these freedoms.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-06-24-national-tsing-hua-university Country/Territory: TAJIKISTAN Types(s): Killings, Violence, Disappearances / Imprisonment Institution: University of Toronto Date of incident: June 16, 2014 Date of report: June 20, 2014 Description: Alexander Sodiqov, a Tajik PhD candidate studying at the University of Toronto, disappeared in Khorog, Tajikistan on June 16, 2014, while doing fieldwork on conflict resolution and civil society in Central Asia. At the time of his arrest, Sodiqov was reportedly conducting an interview with civil society activist Alim Sherzamonov, an opposition leader in Tajikistan. The Tajik secret police, the GKNB, initially confirmed that they had detained Sodiqov on June 16, claiming that he was engaged in espionage on behalf of an unnamed government. Sodiqov reportedly was able to contact his family by phone on the same day, but could not state who had detained him or where he was. Since that time, however, Sodiqov's family and colleagues have not heard from him; authorities have refused to disclose his location, or to indicate whether he remains in custody. According to reports, Sodiqov has appeared on local Tajik state television twice since his arrest, each time appearing pale and confused, with his speech apparently edited in a manner designed to discredit the political opposition. Scholars at Risk is concerned about the apparent incommunicado detention -- without access to counsel or family -- of a scholar, apparently as a result of scholarly research. State officials are obligated to comply with internationally recognized standards of due process and fair trial, including the right to counsel and the right to a fair and public hearing. State officials also have a responsibility not to interfere with the right to free expression, so long as it is exercised peacefully and responsibly. Intimidation, detention or prosecution aimed at limiting free expression undermine academic freedom and democratic society generally.

Update: According to reports, Alex Sodiqov was released on bail on July 22, and, as of this report, was at home in Tajikistan with family. As of this report, Sodiqov remained under investigation for charges related to treason, a crime carrying a maximum prison sentence of 20 years, and was prohibited from leaving the country. He was also not permitted to continue his research.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-06-16-university-toronto Country/Territory: VENEZUELA Types(s): Killings, Violence, Disappearances Institution: Catholic University of Táchira and National Experimental University of Táchira Date of incident: June 2, 2014 Date of report: July 3, 2014 Description: On June 2, 2014, student protests on the campuses of the Catholic University of Táchira, as well as the National Experimental University of Táchira, led to clashes with Venezuelan security officers. The students were reportedly demanding the release of several other student protesters from a jail in Caracas, as well as protesting what they alleged was the arbitrary arrest of the mayor of San Cristobal, Venezuela. During the protests, the students reportedly erected barricades, blocking roads. The National Bolivarian Guard and National Bolivarian Police reportedly attempted to disperse the demonstrations using tear gas and rubber bullets. The clashes resulted in two injuries to police, and four injuries to students. Student demonstrators claimed that their

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protests were infiltrated by violent, hooded individuals to make their protest appear to be violent and provide government troops with a pretext for the use of force. Scholars at Risk is concerned about violence on university campuses. While State and university authorities have a legitimate interest in maintaining order and protecting property, they must do so in ways that are proportional to the situation, that respect peaceful expression, and that minimize the risk of physical injury. Use of excessive force in response to campus unrest unnecessarily increases risks of physical harm to individuals and undermines higher education functions, academic freedom and institutional autonomy. Similarly, while students have the right to free expression, that right does not extend to violence or the destruction of property; on-campus expression must be undertaken in a manner that is consistent with university values including social responsibility. Student violence against persons or property also creates unnecessary risks of physical harm to individuals and undermines higher education functions, academic freedom and institutional autonomy.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-06-02-catholic-university-t%C3%A1chira-ucat- national-experimental-university-tachira-unet Country/Territory: VENEZUELA Types(s): Killings, Violence, Disappearances Institution: Metropolitan University, Santa Maria University Date of incident: June 4, 2014 Date of report: July 3, 2014 Description: On June 4, 2014, violent clashes between student protesters and state security agents broke out just outside the campus of the Metropolitan University in Caracas. Students from both Metropolitan University and nearby Santa María University had assembled to protest alleged police repression and arbitrary detention of their fellow students. The students burned tires and erected barricades blocking traffic. State security agents responded by firing tear gas and rubber bullets at the students, while the students launched fireworks, stones and debris at the officers. Five students were injured in the clashes. The protests are part of an ongoing pattern of unrest throughout Venezuela. Scholars at Risk is concerned about violence on university campuses. State and university authorities, while they have a legitimate interest in maintaining order and protecting property, must do so in ways that are proportional to the situation, that respect peaceful expression, and that minimize the risk of physical injury. Use of excessive force in response to campus unrest unnecessarily increases risks of physical harm to individuals and undermines higher education functions, academic freedom and institutional autonomy. Similarly, while students have the right to free expression, that right does not extend to violence or the destruction of property; on-campus expression must be undertaken in a manner that is consistent with university values including social responsibility. Student violence against persons or property also creates unnecessary risks of physical harm to individuals and undermines higher education functions, academic freedom and institutional autonomy.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-06-04-metropolitan-university-santa- mar%C3%ADa-university Country/Territory: VENEZUELA Types(s): Travel Restrictions Institution: University of Los Andes, Merida Date of incident: June 9, 2014 Date of report: July 3, 2014 Description: On June 9, 2014, student leader Gaby Arellano was reportedly prevented from boarding a flight from Caracas to Merida, on the Venezuelan state airline CONVIASA. According to Ms. Arellano, she had booked her ticket and checked in for the flight, and was in the boarding area when airline workers informed her that her name had appeared on a no-fly list, maintained by CONVIASA, that includes social leaders, journalists and students who have publicly expressed controversial political views. Scholars at Risk is concerned about apparent restriction on a student's mobility based on non-violent expressive activity or her status as a student leader. State authorities have a responsibility not to interfere with a student's right to free expression, so long as that activity is undertaken peacefully and responsibly.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-06-09-university-los-andes-m%C3%A9rida Country/Territory: VENEZUELA Types(s): Killings, Violence, Disappearances Institution: University Fermín Toro Barquisimeto Date of incident: June 12, 2014 Date of report: July 3, 2014 Description: On the morning of June 12, 2014, unknown assailants set off tear gas canisters on the campus of the University Fermin Toro, in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, injuring fourteen people, and affecting students as they took exams. As of this report, no group has taken responsibility for the attack. Scholars at Risk is concerned about violence on university campuses. Such actions threaten the lives and well-being of members of higher education communities; undermine higher education functions and values, including autonomy and [11]

academic freedom; and impair the ability of higher education to serve its public mission. State authorities have a responsibility to ensure the security of academic communities, to prevent future attacks, and to hold perpetrators of violent attacks accountable.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-06-12-university-ferm%C3%ADn-toro-barquisimeto Country/Territory: VENEZUELA Types(s): Killings, Violence, Disappearances / Other Institution: Santa María University, Caracas Date of incident: June 12, 2014 Date of report: July 3, 2014 Description: On June 12, 2014, a public bus leaving the campus of Santa Maria University, in Caracas, was boarded by armed individuals posing as students. The individuals robbed the driver and several of the passengers, and shot and wounded two students during the robbery. The incident sparked on-campus demonstrations in which students complained of the administration's failure to provide sufficient on-campus security, and demanded that further security measures be implemented. Scholars at Risk is concerned about violent attacks against students, and attacks on or in the vicinity of university campuses. In addition to the harm to the immediate victims, such attacks create insecurity which undermines higher education functions. State and university authorities have a responsibility to ensure the security of academic communities, to prevent future attacks, and to investigate and hold perpetrators of violent attacks accountable.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-06-12-santa-mar%C3%ADa-university-caracas Country/Territory: YEMEN Types(s): Killings, Violence, Disappearances Institution: University of Sana'a-College of Dentistry Date of incident: July 5, 2014 Date of report: July 24, 2014 Description: On July 5, 2014, a group of unidentified gunmen reportedly attempted to assassinate Professor Al- Qasim Mohammad Abbas Sharaf al-Din, the Dean of the Dentistry College at Sana'a University, in Sana'a's city center. Security forces reported that roughly 18 gunmen approached Professor Sharaf al-Din's car at a security point and opened fire on him. When the professor's driver drew a pistol and began firing back, the gunmen reportedly fled. Professor Sharaf al-Din suffered minor injuries, and was treated at a nearby hospital. No one has claimed responsibility for the crime. Scholars at Risk is concerned about an apparently targeted attack on a professor. In addition to the harm to the immediate victim, such incidents have a chilling effect on academic freedom and institutional autonomy. State officials have a responsibility to ensure the security of higher education communities, to prevent future attacks, and to hold perpetrators accountable.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-07-05-university-sanaa-college-dentistry

*Scholars at Risk (SAR) is an international network of higher education institutions and individuals in countries working to protect threatened scholars, prevent attacks on higher education communities, and promote academic freedom and human rights. SAR is hosted by New York University. Information about the network is available at www.scholarsatrisk.org. SAR coordinates the production and circulation of the Academic Freedom MONITOR. Alleged incidents are based on publicly available sources, including media reports, as well as other primary and secondary research sources, whenever practical. SAR works within available resources to corroborate and/or verify alleged incident reports, and welcomes submissions of additional corroborating, clarifying or contradictory information which may be used to further research or otherwise improve data reported. Incident reports and links or references to corroborating or source material are provided to assist users in evaluating alleged reports and do not necessarily represent the views of SAR, participating monitors or respective members and partners of the Scholars at Risk Network. To communicate information about a particular incident, report a new incident or learn how you and your institution might participate in monitoring activities, email [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this list, click here.

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Academic Freedom Media Review August 30 - September 5, 2014 Compiled by Scholars at Risk

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. Archived media reviews are available on our website.

Plugging Iran's 'Brain Drain' Dr. Jeffrey H. Toney, The Huffington Post, 09/04 Even those who are severely math-challenged have been mesmerized by the recent news of Iranian mathematics dynamo Maryam Mirzakhani, the first woman and the first Iranian to be awarded the prestigious Fields medal. Read more.

Maryam al-Khawaja, the Inconvenient Activist Samia Errazzouki, Foreign Policy, 09/04 "They keep saying I'm not a citizen," tweeted human rights defender (and FP Global Thinker) Maryam al-Khawaja early on the morning of Aug. 30. A few hours earlier she had stepped off a plane in her home country of Bahrain, where she hoped to pay a visit to her ailing father, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja. Read more.

Uyghur Scholar Tohti 'Humiliated' in Prison, Shackled Again Qiao Long, Parameswaran Ponnudurai, Luisetta Mudie, Radio Free Asia, 09/04 Detained Uyghur scholar Ilham Tohti has claimed that several inmates in his prison in northwestern China's Xinjiang region ganged up on him and humiliated him, forcing a confrontation that led to him being shackled again, his lawyer said Thursday. Read more.

Imprisoned Student Denied Medical Treatment despite Severe Illness International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, 09/04 Omid Kokabi, an exceptional student serving a 10-year sentence, has not been allowed medical treatment outside Evin Prison despite his worsening kidney stone condition and stomach ailment, a source told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. Read more.

Ariel University professor given formal dismissal notice in contravention of regulations Yarden Skop, Haaretz, 09/04 Ariel University yesterday informed Prof. Amir Hetsroni, who on August 27 was told of his dismissal from the institution, that his salary would not be paid after that date. That decision, as well as the dismissal itself, is in apparent contravention of university regulations as well as a ruling by a labor court on the case. Read more.

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Iraqi intellectuals start campaigns to end bloodshed Shukur Khilkhal, Al Monitor, 09/03 Security instability and the increasing number of terror victims in Iraq have pushed Iraqi intellectuals to take on new and unfamiliar roles. They have entered the political scene by organizing campaigns, cultural and social events to promote several objectives, gaining the support of citizens all over Iraq. Read more.

Azmi vows to fight charge, saying it is a blow to academic freedom V. Anbalagan, The Malaysian Insider, 09/02 A defiant Azmi Sharom (pic), who was charged with sedition this morning, said he would fight the charge as it was a blow to academic freedom and freedom of expression. Azmi, 45, said he was shocked to learn that the charge was over comments he had made on the Perak constitutional crisis in 2009. Read more.

Cairo University professors protest against colleague’s arrest Adham Youssef, Daily News Egypt, 09/02 A number of university professors protested Monday in front of Cairo University demanding the immediate release of their colleagues from prison, according to state-run Al-Ahram. The protest was organised by the group “An Independent University”, set up this year and advocating an entirely independent university system. Read more.

3 Universities Pledge to Uphold Party Ideals on Campus Vanessa Piao, The New York Times, 09/02 The Communist Party committees of three prestigious Chinese universities have pledged to uphold ideological controls over their students and faculty. Separate statements by Peking University in Beijing, Fudan University in Shanghai and Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou were published Sunday under the headline “How to carry out ideological work at universities under new historical conditions” in the party journal Qiushi, which means “seeking truth.” Read more.

Cairo University Bans Politically Affiliated Student Groups Sarah Lynch, Al-Fanar Media, 09/02 When the academic year kicks off in Egypt, Cairo University professors and students will face a significant policy shift: Politically-affiliated student activities and groups will be banned from the university’s campus. Read more.

Tajikistan: Academic’s Future Still Unclear as Government Prolongs Investigation Chris Rickleton, Inside the Cocoon, 09/01 Alexander Sodiqov, the Tajikistan-born academic arrested on espionage charges in June, still does not know if or when he will be free to leave his native country and resume his studies abroad. Read more.

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Scholars at Risk calls for letters on behalf of Malaysian law professor facing prosecution on sedition charges September 11, 2014

Scholars at Risk is gravely concerned by reports that Dr. Azmi Sharom, an associate professor of law, faces prosecution on charges relating to his academic profession.

SAR calls for letters, faxes and emails respectfully urging authorities to investigate and drop any charges stemming from Prof. Azmi's exercise of academic freedom and free expression.

Click here to share your concern with the Prime Minister of Malaysia and other concerned authorities.

Further information:

Professor Azmi Sharom is an associate professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Malaya. Scholars at Risk understands that, on September 2, 2014, Prof. Azmi was charged in Kuala Lumpur Session Court with sedition. Under Malaysian law, sedition is defined as speech that “would bring into hatred or contempt or to excite disaffection against” the government. The charges apparently stem from an interview Prof. Azmi gave on August 14 regarding an ongoing political crisis in Selangor state. In the interview, Prof. Azmi compared the current crisis to a situation in the Malaysian state of Perak in 2009, stating, “[y]ou don’t want a repeat of that, where a secret meeting took place” and “I think what happened in Perak was legally wrong. The best thing to do is do it as legally and transparently as possible.” Prof. Azmi pleaded not guilty to the charge against him and was released on bail pending trial. He spoke publicly about the prosecution, stating, “I was shocked to learn that I am being charged under the Sedition Act because of comments I made on the Perak crisis of 2009. My statements were based on established case law and democratic principles. They were given in my capacity as a law lecturer of 24 years standing.” Reports indicate that his next hearing is set for October 3, 2014.

Scholars at Risk welcomes any additional information that may clarify our understanding of these events. Absent this, the facts as described suggest that Prof. Azmi’s comments were protected expression related to his professional competence as a legal scholar. Prosecution for such expression would violate internationally recognized standards of academic freedom and the right to freedom of opinion and expression.

Scholars at Risk therefore invites letters, emails and faxes be sent to the appropriate authorities, respectfully urging:

- intervention to ensure a full, impartial, timely investigation and public reporting on the incident as early as possible;

- dropping any charges or proceedings against Prof. Azmi which stem from his exercise of academic freedom and the right of freedom of opinion and expression; and

- firm, clear and public demonstration of Malaysia's commitment to academic freedom, free inquiry and freedom of opinion and expression as fundamental to quality higher education and as essential elements of free, stable and prosperous societies.

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Academic Freedom Media Review September 06 - 12, 2014 Compiled by Scholars at Risk

Sydney University bows to request from Sri Lankan military and police Oliver Laughland, The Guardian, 09/12 The University of Sydney has withdrawn invitations for two Sri Lankan human rights organisations to an international conference at the request of the Sri Lankan military, angering campaigners. The university is due to host a two-day event in Bangkok from Monday along with the University of Colombo, which will see delegates from around the world discuss the enhancement of human rights in the Asia Pacific region. Read more.

Tajikistan Lets Scholar Accused of Espionage Leave Country David Trilling, Inside the Cocoon, 09/12 The Tajik scholar whose June arrest on espionage charges ignited an international outcry has been allowed to leave Tajikistan. Alexander Sodiqov arrived in Canada on September 10, his thesis advisor at the University of Toronto, Edward Schatz, has confirmed. Sodiqov’s wife and infant daughter joined him late on September 11. Read more.

Academics pledge to help students who boycott classes Luisa Tam, South China Morning Post, 09/12 The announcement by mainland officials of new rules ensuring that only hand-picked candidates will be allowed to run for Hong Kong's top leadership position in 2017 was, not surprisingly, condemned by democracy activists. But this latest setback in the struggle for genuine universal suffrage has brought to the surface a growing undercurrent of support among academics for the Occupy Central movement. Read more.

Thai coup leader warns against insulting the monarchy Agence France-Presse, 09/12 Thai junta leader Prayut Chan-O-Cha Friday said his regime would use legal, psychological and technological measures to protect the monarchy against defamation in his first official policy speech as premier. The warning came as Amnesty International said an "unprecedented" number of people have been charged with insulting the royals since the coup, with 14 Thais indicted under the controversial lese majeste law in less than four months. Read more.

What’s Next in the Steven Salaita Dispute? Peter Schmidt, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 09/12 Thursday’s 8-to-1 vote by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees to deny a tenured professorship to Steven G. Salaita over his inflammatory Twitter posts about Israel hardly settles the controversy over the university’s dealings with him. Read more.

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Wofford Hosts Performance Banned Elsewhere Inside Higher Ed, 09/11 The University of South Carolina Upstate, under legislative pressure, in April called off a planned appearance by a lesbian humorist. This week Wofford College, a private liberal arts institution in South Carolina, held the performance banned at South Carolina Upstate, an appearance by Leigh Hendrix of her one-woman show “How to be a Lesbian in 10 Days or Less.” Read more.

Students, lecturers march in solidarity with UM’s Azmi Sharom Lee Shi-Ian, The Malaysian Insider, 09/10 More than 400 Universiti Malaya students and lecturers called on Putrajaya to drop all charges against law professor Dr Azmi Sharom and repeal the Sedition Act 1948, as they participated in the "hartal" (strike) today to press for academic freedom. Read more.

Detained Uighur activist appears in China court World Bulletin, 09/09 Detained Uighur scholar Dr. Ilham Tohti has appeared in a Chinese court for the first time since being arrested eight months ago charged with separatism. The Pekin International University professor and human rights activist was detained on January 15 and has not been seen in public since. Read more.

The Problem With Civility Colleen Flaherty, Inside Higher Ed, 09/09 Will 2014 be the year of civility in faculty conduct? It seems to be shaping up that way, with administrators and even courts recently weighing in on the concept – to the dismay of many faculty members who see expectations of civility as incompatible with academic freedom. It's not that critics want everyone to be rude, but they say that civility can be used as grounds to squelch unpopular ideas that deserve a home in academe. Read more.

AAUP Condemns Trigger Warnings As A 'Threat To Academic Freedom' Tyler Kingkade, The Huffington Post, 09/09 The American Association of University Professors, one of the nation's leading college faculty groups, announced this week it formally opposes the use of "trigger warnings" in classrooms and on class syllabi. In a lengthy statement outlining the AAUP's position, the group called trigger warnings -- whether mandatory or voluntary -- a "threat to academic freedom." Read more.

Moon Festival Shines Spotlight on China's Prisoners of Conscience Tian Yi and Grace Kei Lai-see, Radio Free Asia, 09/08 Most political prisoners in China, including Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo, were again deprived of being with their families at the traditional Mid-Autumn festival, which fell on Monday, as people in the country lighted lanterns, ate moon cakes and appreciated the round moon to mark the auspicious occasion, relatives and fellow activists said. Read more.

Foreign Powers Buy Influence at Think Tanks Eric Lipton, Brooke Williams and Nicholas Confessore, The New York Times, 09/06 The agreement signed last year by the Norway Ministry of Foreign Affairs was explicit: For $5 million, Norway’s partner in Washington would push top officials at the White House, at the Treasury Department and in Congress to double spending on a United States foreign aid program. Read more.

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Good news! Travel restriction lifted for Alex Sodiqov September 12, 2014

Scholars at Risk welcomes the news that Alexander Sodiqov, a PhD candidate studying conflict resolution at the University of Toronto, was permitted to leave Tajikistan and arrived in Canada, where he will continue his studies, on Wednesday. His wife and daughter joined him on Thursday.

Mr. Sodiqov was arrested and detained in Khorog, Tajikistan on June 16 while conducting fieldwork on conflict resolution and civil society in Central Asia. Mr. Sodiqov was released on bail on July 22. SAR understands that Mr. Sodiqov remains under investigation for charges related to treason, a crime carrying a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.

Scholars at Risk will continue to monitor developments in this case. We joined many others in advocating on Mr. Sodiqov’s behalf, and are grateful to the many members of our network who responded to our call for letters of appeal to be sent to the authorities in Tajikistan. For information on SAR’s advocacy work, please visit our Scholars in Prison page. For more information on Scholars at Risk, please visit: www.scholarsatrisk.org.

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Dear friends,

Following are the summaries of scholars currently seeking placement assistance. We ask for your help in reviewing the information and encourage you to share it with your institution and other colleagues who may be able to help.

• Eritrean scholar of mathematics and higher education • Iranian scholar of human rights and gender studies • Syrian scholar of marketing • Syrian scholar of archaeology • Iranian scholar of psychology

More information is available from the SAR network office at [email protected] and +1 212 998-2179. Thank you for your help.

ERIT-529

Field: Mathematics, Higher Education Risk: Imprisonment/ Discrimination (displaced) Language: Tigrigna (native), English (fluent), Dutch (basic) Education: PhD (The Netherlands) Seeking: Opportunities beginning immediately to continue his research and teaching

IRAN-695

Field: Human Rights, Gender Studies Risk: Threat of Imprisonment (displaced) Language: Persian (native), English (fluent) Education: MA Seeking: Research or doctoral study opportunities in the Netherlands

SYRI-528

Field: Marketing; Management; Tourism Risk: Threat of arrest/violence Language: English, Arabic (fluent) Education: MBA (UK) Seeking: PhD study, research, and/or teaching beginning immediately

SYRI-567

Field: Archaeology Risk: Threat to life; Risk of arrest and violence (displaced) Language: English (fluent), German (intermediate), Akkadian (proficient) Education: PhD (UK) Seeking: Opportunities beginning Fall 2015 to continue her teaching and research in the United States or the United Kingdom

IRAN-562

Field: Psychology Risk: Harassment/Intimidation (displaced) Language: Persian (fluent), English (fluent) Education: PhD Seeking: Opportunities beginning Spring 2015 to continue his research and teaching in the United States

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Academic Freedom Media Review September 13 - 19, 2014 Compiled by Scholars at Risk

Crimean Tatar Scholar Attacked, Library Shut As Pressure Mounts Radio Free Europe, 09/19 A Crimean Tatar scholar says masked assailants dragged him from his car and took his passport in an attack meant to prevent him from attending a UN conference in New York. The attack on Nadir Bekir late on September 18 came hours after Russian authorities moved to seize the Crimean Tatar assembly, the Mejlis, piling pressure on the Turkic- speaking Muslim minority group that largely opposed Moscow's annexation of the Black Sea peninsula from Ukraine. Read more.

Syrian refugees in Jordan – From camps to campus Daniela Z Kaisth and James R King, University World News, 09/19 The United Nations recently registered its three millionth Syrian refugee. In this group and among the nearly seven million Syrians internally displaced is a population neglected and ignored: tens of thousands of university students and scholars. Read more.

A Pakistani Scholar Accused of Blasphemy Is Shot Dead Zia ur-Rehman, The New York Times, 09/18 A liberal Muslim scholar who had been accused of blasphemy for a speech he gave during a visit to the United States was shot and killed in Karachi on Thursday, the city police said. The scholar, Muhammad Shakil Auj, was the dean of Islamic studies at the state-run University of Karachi. Read more.

Carleton Partners with the University of Ottawa to Join Scholars at Risk Network Carleton University, 09/18 Carleton University and the Carleton University Academic Staff Association (CUASA), in partnership with the University of Ottawa, will be joining the Scholars at Risk (SAR) network in the 2014-‘15 academic year. Read more.

Shia rebels in Yemen besiege university run by Sunni radicals Associated Press, 09/18 Security officials say Shia rebels have reached a suburb of Yemen's capital, Sana'a, where they are fighting Sunni militias and besieging a university run by one of the nation's best- known Sunni radicals. The officials say Thursday's fighting in Shamlan has forced thousands to flee their homes, but they have no word on casualties. Read more. [20]

Bahrain activist Maryam al-Khawaja released Al Jazeera, 09/18 Authorities in Bahrain have released Shia political activist Maryam Abdulhadi al-Khawaja but the charges against her still stand, the Gulf state's interior ministry said in a statement. Al-Khawaja, arrested after arriving at Manama airport last month and accused of assaulting a police officer, was released dependent on a guarantee of her place of residence and is banned from travelling, Thursday's statement said. Read more.

Uighur scholar’s daughter laments China’s ‘ridiculous’ charges against her father Simon Denyer, The Washington Post, 09/16 In February 2013, Jewher Ilham was due to accompany her father to the United States for a month, to help him settle in as he took up a new job as a visiting scholar at Indiana University. But as they prepared to leave China, her father, the prominent Uighur scholar Ilham Tohti, was detained, beaten and forbidden to leave the country. Read more.

Boko Haram: Nigeria teacher training college attacked BBC, 09/17 The attackers exchanged fire with police outside the college before running inside. Another 34 people were injured. It is not clear who was responsible, although suspicion will fall on militant Islamist group Boko Haram, which has been waging an insurgency in Nigeria since 2009. Read more.

Myanmar Teachers Back Student Opposition to Education Draft Law Wai Mar Tun and Yadanar Oo, Radio Free Asia, 09/15 A key group representing Myanmar’s teachers said Monday it had joined students in opposing a proposed law aimed at revamping the country's education system, saying strong government controls under the draft law contradicted reforms that have been implemented by President Thein Sein’s administration. Read more.

Loved and Hated, Former Premier of Thailand Is Erased From Textbook Thomas Fuller, The New York Times, 09/15 His legacy is inseparable from the past decade of political tumult in Thailand, but high school students will not find the name Thaksin Shinawatra in the history textbooks that the country’s military junta recently ordered schools to use. Read more.

What Education Is Like Under the Islamic State Gilgamesh Nabeel, Al Fanar Media, 09/14 As the Islamic State tightens its rule on Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, the militant group has begun to turn its eyes on education, casting a shadow over the start of the school year. Islamic State leaders want students, staff members and administrators segregated by gender. They have imposed a dress code that requires men to wear wide-legged pants and women to cover up their faces and hair. Read more.

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Dear SAR Representative,

Scholars at Risk is pleased to announce the launch of the 2014-2015 Speakers Series.

This year's Speaker Series lists include an incredible selection of academics, writers and human rights activists from Syria, Ethiopia, and around the globe. SAR welcomes Network members to invite one or more of these inspiring individuals to campus this year for lectures, panel discussions, workshops and other events. A list of scholars available for speaking engagements in your region, along with guidelines on inviting a speaker, can be found on SAR's website: http://scholarsatrisk.nyu.edu/At-Risk- Scholars/Speaker-Series.php.

For more information about available speakers or about organizing your own event, please contact the SAR network office at [email protected] and +1-212-998-2179.

Thank you, Scholars at Risk

Scholars at Risk calls for letters on behalf of professor sentenced to life in prison in China September 24, 2014

Scholars at Risk is gravely concerned over reports that Professor Ilham Tohti, a public intellectual and economics professor, was convicted on charges of separatism and sentenced to life in prison.

SAR calls for letters, emails, and faxes respectfully urging authorities to ensure that Prof. Tohti receives a fair opportunity to appeal this sentence before an impartial tribunal and that any charges or convictions related to his academic activities are lifted.

Click here to share your concern with the President of China and other concerned authorities

Further information:

Professor Tohti is a professor of economics at the Central Minzu University in Beijing and advocate for the rights of the Chinese Uighur minority. Scholars at Risk understands that on the afternoon of January 15, 2014, police raided Professor Tohti’s family home; seized computers, cell phones, passports and student essays; and arrested Professor Tohti. According to reports, he was held incommunicado until late June, after which he was denied regular access to family. On July 30, Professor Tohti was formally charged with separatism, charges that reportedly stem from his teachings at the university and writings published on his former website, Uighur Online.

On September 16 and 17, 2014, Professor Tohti underwent a two-day trial in the Urumqi Intermediate People’s Court, which was closed to the public. Professor Tohti's lawyers have

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reported that they were denied access to evidence in advance of trial and were not allowed to call defense witnesses. Evidence presented by prosecutors reportedly included Professor Tohti's teaching materials, as well as material taken from the Uighur Online website. Professor Tohti reportedly maintained his innocence throughout trial, rejecting the charge of separatism and stating "There is nothing wrong with voicing one’s thoughts. And there is nothing wrong with doing academic research."

Following trial, on September 23, 2014, the court found Professor Tohti guilty of separatism and sentenced him to life in prison. In addition, the court ordered that all of Professor Tohti’s assets be confiscated, which could leave his family in severe economic distress.

Scholars at Risk welcomes any additional or contrary information that may clarify our understanding of these events. Absent this, the facts indicate that Professor Tohti was arrested, convicted and sentenced as a result of scholarly and nonviolent expressive activity, conduct that is expressly protected under international human rights instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which China is a signatory. Therefore, in the absence of any clearly legitimate, publicly expressed grounds for doing so, the arrest and conviction of Professor Tohti raises serious concerns for his well being and for the ability of intellectuals generally in China to conduct world-class scholarship under such circumstances. Scholars at Risk finds the situation particularly distressing given the important role that China and Chinese universities and scholars in particular should play in the development of knowledge, research and scholarship in the 21st century.

Scholars at Risk therefore invites letters, emails and faxes be sent to the appropriate authorities, respectfully urging:

- that Prof. Tohti receives a fair opportunity to appeal this sentence before an impartial tribunal,

- that any charges or convictions related to his academic activities are lifted, and

- that in the interim, his case is addressed in a manner consistent with internationally recognized standards of due process, fair trial and detention, in accordance with China’s obligations under international law.

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Academic Freedom Media Review September 20 - 26, 2014 Compiled by Scholars at Risk

Nobel laureates call for release of Iranian physicist Michele Catanzaro, Nature, 09/26 Eighteen Physics Nobel laureates have signed an open letter addressed to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, calling for the release of Omid Kokabee, a 32-year-old physicist who has spent the last 3 years and 8 months in a Teheran prison. Read more.

University of Chicago pulls out of Confucius Institute Stuart Leavenworth, McClatchy, 09/26 China’s soft diplomacy push hit a speed bump this week when the University of Chicago decided to pull the plug on renewing a controversial Beijing-funded Confucius Institute at the campus. Read more:

An Internet Where Nobody Says Anything David Wertime, Foreign Policy, 09/25 Here is what a court in Urumqi, the capital of China's western Xinjiang region, concludes Ilham Tohti, a balding, thick-set, 44-year-old professor, did: "Using 'Uighur Online' as a platform, and taking advantage of his role as a university professor," Tohti "spread separatist notions" and "bewitched and coerced" seven of his students to join into an eight- person, web-powered splittist clique with international reach. Read more.

Islamic State plunges research in Iraq into darkness Kira Walker, Nature Middle East, 09/25 Five days before Iraq’s second largest city fell to the Islamic State (IS), the militant group formerly known as ISIS, Mohammad Al-Attraqchi, an electrical engineering professor at the University of Mosul, went to work for the last time. He has not been back since and does not plan to return. Read more.

Jailed Uyghur Scholar Remains Strong Despite Life Sentence Hai Nan and Qiao Long, Radio Free Asia, 09/24 Uyghur scholar Ilham Tohti said Wednesday that he remained strong despite the life sentence imposed for "separatism" a day earlier by a court in northwestern China’s troubled Xinjiang region, expressing optimism that justice will prevail. Read more.

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PM denies ban on academic forums Just don't talk politics, regime leader warns Bangkok Post, 09/24 Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has insisted he has not restricted academic freedom nor banned academic seminars, but says politics must not be discussed at such events. He was commenting Tuesday following a protest by a group of university scholars against the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) ban on their academic forum on dictatorship last Thursday. Read more.

Students found guilty amid spate of sedition cases Emilia Tan, University World News, 09/23 The clamour of voices calling for the Malaysian government to repeal its controversial Sedition Act grew louder as a law student last week received a one-year jail term under the Sedition law – the second student to be found guilty of sedition this month. Read more.

Violence in Yemen Blocks Universities From Opening Faisal Darem, Al-Fanar Media, 09/23 Clashes between armed insurgents and Yemeni government forces have compelled three universities and all schools in the capital to shut down their doors until further notice. The government and Houthi militants, members of a Shiite sect distinctive to Yemen, have been fighting since 2005. The Houthis have been battling to seize northern areas and lately have been capturing more territory. Read more.

How Alexander Sodiqov was freed following espionage charges Jennifer Clibbon, CBC News, 09/23 Many graduate students will tell you your relationship with your PhD supervisor can make or break your career. In Alexander Sodiqov's case, his supervisor may have saved him from years in prison. Edward Schatz, a professor in political science at the University of Toronto, led the global campaign to free Read more.

Defamation Law Reminds Critics of Indonesia’s Past Joe Cochrane, The New York Times, 09/22 When an Indonesian law student posted an online rant saying the historic city of Yogyakarta in Central Java was “poor, stupid and uncultured,” she earned more than the ire of its residents. She ended up in a police detention cell, charged with cyberdefamation. Read more.

What Will Become of Syria's Students and Scholars? Allan E. Goodman and Jorge Sampaio, The Huffington Post, 09/22 Education is the orphan of any war. It is true in Iraq, where ISIL recently yanked any studies of literature, history, art, or music from public school curriculums in areas it controls. The academic crisis is even more dire in war-torn Syria, where universities have been occupied or destroyed and thousands of students and professors have been displaced, threatened, or killed. Read more.

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Dear friends,

• Ethiopian scholar of literature and folklore • Azerbaijani scholar of history and politics • Congolese scholar of political science • Pakistani scholar of human rights, religion and political science • Iranian scholar of physical chemistry • Pakistani scholar of development economics

More information is available from the SAR network office at [email protected] and +1 212 998-2179. Thank you for your help.

Scholars of the Week

ETHI-557 Field: Ethiopian Literature and Folklore; Anthropology Risk: Threat of arrest/violence (displaced) Language: Amharic, Oromo, English (fluent) Education: PhD (ABD) Seeking: Opportunities beginning Summer 2015 to continue his research, writing, and/or teaching in the United States

AZER-505 Field: History; Politics Risk: Threat to life/person; Threat of arrest/violence Language: Azeri (native), English (fluent) Education: PhD Seeking: Opportunities beginning immediately to continue his research and writing in the United States

DRCO-570 Field: Political Science, Sociology, Conflict Resolution Risk: Threat to life/person Language: French, Kiswahili (fluent) Education: MA Seeking: Opportunities beginning immediately to continue his teaching or research in French-speaking Africa, Europe, or North America

PAKI-545 Field: Human Rights, Religion, Political Science Risk: Threat to life/person Language: Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Seraiki, Farsi, Arabic (fluent), English (advanced) Education: MA Seeking: Opportunities beginning immediately to continue his research and writing in Europe

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IRAN-684 Field: Physical Chemistry Risk: Threat to life; Loss of position (displaced) Language: Farsi (native), English (intermediate) Education: MSc Seeking: Opportunities beginning immediately to continue his research and teaching in Europe

PAKI-558 Field: Human Rights; Development Economics Risk: Harassment/Intimidation (displaced) Language: English, Urdu (fluent) Education: MS (US), MA Seeking: Opportunities beginning Summer 2015 to continue his research

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September 2014 New Members

 Uppsala University, Sweden  The European Association for International Education (EAIE) joined SAR as an affiliate member  Southampton Solent University joined SAR as part of the CARA-SAR UK Universities Network

New Hosts

 New members of the SAR-Canada section, University of Ottawa and Carleton University, announce their joint efforts to host a SAR scholar in the 2015-16 academic year: http://newsroom.carleton.ca/2014/09/18/carleton-partners-university- ottawa-join-scholars-risk-network/.  University of Agder, Norway offered a one year position to a Syrian scholar.  Harvard University, USA welcomed a Chinese scholar to campus for the 2014-15 academic year.  Centennial College, Canada extended a one year contract, beginning this fall, to a Zimbabwean scholar.  An Eritrean scholar arrived at Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway for the 2014-2015 academic year.  University of Nantes, France welcomed a Congolese scholar to campus for an MA program. This position was organized together with the Erasmus Mundus Action 2 partnership project CARIBU. For further information about the CARIBU project, please visit: http://www.caribu.be/the-project/about-project-caribu/  An Ethiopian scholar has arrived to take up a visiting scholar position at California State University – San Bernardino, USA for the 2014-15 academic year.  University of York, UK welcomed a Syrian scholar to campus for the 2014-2015 academic year. This position was organized in cooperation with SAR’s partner in the UK, the Council for At-Risk Academics.

The following positions were organized in cooperation with SAR’s partner in the Netherlands, the Foundation for Refugee Students/University Assistance Fund:

 Tilburg University, the Netherlands welcomed a Rwandan scholar to campus for a year-long position.  Utrecht University, the Netherlands welcomed a Syrian scholar to campus for the 2014-2015 academic year.  The Technical University of Twente, the Netherlands welcomed an Iranian scholar to campus for a one year guest researcher position.  Leiden University, the Netherlands welcomed an Iranian scholar to campus for a year-long position.  The Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study welcomed a Cameroonian scholar to campus for a 10 month-long research position.

One of the above scholars is in receipt of a fellowship from the Institute of International Education’s Scholar Rescue Fund.

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Events SAR Speaker Series

Scholars at Risk is pleased to announce the launch of the 2014-2015 Speakers Series. This year's Speaker Series lists include an incredible selection of academics, writers and human rights activists from Syria, Ethiopia, and around the globe. SAR welcomes Network members to invite one or more of these inspiring individuals to campus this year for lectures, panel discussions, workshops and other events. A list of scholars available for speaking engagements in your region, along with guidelines on inviting a speaker, can be found on SAR's website: http://scholarsatrisk.nyu.edu/At- Risk-Scholars/Speaker-Series.php.

Upcoming SAR and SAR partner events:

 October 2, Netherlands: The annual meeting of the UAF-Scholars at Risk network in the Netherlands and Belgium will take place in Utrecht. SAR scholars in the Netherlands and Belgium and representatives of all member institutions in both countries are encouraged to participate along with those interested in getting involved. For further information, please contact [email protected]  October 2, United Kingdom: The Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA), SAR’s partner organization in the UK, will host the lecture “Syria Today: Health & Politics” at the Garwood Lecture Theatre in London. In this lecture, Mr Omar Gabbar, consultant surgeon and medical lead for Hand in Hand For Syria, will talk about the work he has done in Syria and the challenges of providing healthcare in a conflict zone. Dr Talal Al-Mayhani, a Syrian academic, will outline the region’s political situation to shed understanding on the current Syrian healthcare crisis. For more information, please see: http://www.cara1933.org/events/51/syria-today-health-and-politics  October 22, United Kingdom: The Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA), SAR’s partner organization in the UK, will host the lecture “Berlin to Britain” at The Goethe- Institut London. Accompanying the Migration Museum Project's new Germans in Britain exhibition, this event delves into the world of 1920s Berlin, exploring childhood experiences of the city, and of migration. Speakers include Lord Moser KCB CBE FBA, Carl Miller and Susie Harries, with a solo violin performance by Mandhira de Saram. For more information, please see: http://www.cara1933.org/events/52/berlin-to-britain  October 28, USA: Through the SAR Speaker Series, a SAR scholar from Syria will visit George Mason University to share his experiences and expertise with the campus community. Entitled “Syria: From Peaceful Revolution to Humanitarian Catastrophe,” his talk will examine Syria’s history in the context of current events.  November 7, Norway: The SAR-Norway section will hold its annual membership meeting and general assembly at University of Tromsø - Arctic University of Norway. On the evening prior, November 6th, the SAR-Norway section will hold a public event dedicated to academic freedom. More details to follow.  December 3-5, Sweden: SAR Speaker Series events will take place in Gothenburg, Malmö and Lund featuring a scholar from Pakistan, a representative from the SAR-Norway section, SAR’s European Director, and representatives from the host institutions in 3 cities. More information forthcoming.

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News

Scholars at Risk's Academic Freedom Monitor identifies alleged threats or attacks on higher education communities and their members worldwide, with the aim of raising awareness and mobilizing action to protect vulnerable individuals, promote accountability and prevent future attacks. Between June and August 2014, SAR identified 25 new incidents, which included killings/violence/disappearances, wrongful imprisonment, wrongful prosecution, travel restrictions, and retaliatory discharge/loss of position. For more information on the Academic Freedom Monitor, please visit: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/ . To report a new incident, provide updated information on a listed incident, or learn how you and your institution might participate in monitoring activities, email [email protected].

New Resources

 The 2014 Annual Report of the Network of Concerned Historians (NCH) is now available online at: http://www.concernedhistorians.org/content/ar.html. The report details developments regarding the censorship of history and the persecution of historians, archivists, and archaeologists around the globe.

 UNESCO recently launched their Right to Education Global Database, which is designed to be a practical tool for monitoring, research and advocacy on the fundamental human right to education. The database contains profiles of 195 countries in English and French languages, and hosts a library of over 1,000 documents including constitutions, legislations and policies on education in countries around the world. The database is available at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international- agenda/right-to-education/database/.

 Ilham Tohti of China (Economics): Sentenced to life in prison  Azmi Sharom of Malaysia (Law): Facing prosecution  Alexander Sodiqov of Tajikistan (Political Science): Good news: Travel restriction lifted

Gifts to SAR Since September 1

Jonathan Cole

Academic Freedom Media Review September 27 - October 03, 2014

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Compiled by Scholars at Risk

No hope for rights, Thai professors say after junta halts democracy seminar Associated Press, 10/03 The university students who organised a seminar in Thailand on the demise of dictatorships knew that one particularly sensitive topic had to stay off-limits: their own country. Since overthrowing an elected government in May, the nation's military rulers have jailed opponents who dared to speak out and silenced the rest with the threat of prosecution. Read more.

Azmi Sharom ‘chased out’ of UKM campus Anisah Shukry, The Malaysian Insider, 10/02 A programme aimed at raising awareness on the hazards of the Sedition Act turned into a "life lesson" for Universiti ebangsaan Malaysia (U M) students after the invited speaker, law lecturer Associate Professor Dr Azmi Sharom, was "chased out" of the venue by security guards . Read more.

Another U.S. University Severs Ties to Confucius Institute Andrew Jacobs and Jess Macy Yu, The New York Times, 10/02 Pennsylvania State University has terminated its partnership with the Confucius Institute, the global learning network sponsored by the Chinese government, delivering a fresh setback to China’s soft-power push on American college campuses. Read more.

Double Standard at Illinois John K. Wilson, Inside Higher Ed, 10/02 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign officials have argued that they were justified in refusing to hire Steven Salaita because his bigoted comments indicated a bias that would deprive students of their right to be “comfortable” (a right that does not and should not exist at any college committed to the discussion of ideas that may lead to uncomfortable truths). Read more.

Versions of Academic Freedom: From Professionalism to Revolution, by Stanley Fish Thomas Docherty, Times Higher Education, 10/02 Who cares about academic freedom? What marks the academic out for such special consideration? On what basis can we assert rights and freedoms that are unavailable to other professions or citizens? Is the academic’s work properly oriented towards more general freedoms? Read more. [31]

Thousands of Iman University Students, Faculty Displaced During Clashes Ali Saeed, Yemen Times, 09/30 About 6,000 Iman University students, faculty, and their families have been displaced from their homes on Iman University’s campus following the Houthi takeover. One week prior to the clashes at the university, about 380 families were evacuated. Read more.

University boycott extended as democracy movement escalates Yojana Sharma, University World News, 09/30 Hong Kong university students – part of a huge, often spontaneous pro-democracy movement that has occupied the streets of central Hong Kong in recent days – said on Monday that they would extend their week-long boycott of classes to an indefinite one. “We urge students to boycott classes indefinitely and teachers to boycott teaching,” said the statement by Hong Kong University Students' Union and Scholarism and other groups. Read more.

Suggested amendments to university laws are severe violation of academic freedom: AFTE Adham Youssef, Daily News Egypt, 09/29 The Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE) condemned Monday the suggested amendments to the law regulating university affairs, describing it as a severe violation to the independence of universities and academic freedom. Read more.

Efforts to Help Syria’s “Lost Generation” Disappointing So Far Benjamin Plackett, Al-Fanar Media, 09/29 The victims of a cruel civil war, many Syrian students still want to go to university. The lucky few who find a place overseas and the means to attend have an arduous journey, peppered with aggressive bureaucratic checkpoints to navigate. Read more.

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Academic Freedom Media Review October 04 - 10, 2014 Compiled by Scholars at Risk

Enlightened leadership needed to secure academic freedom Michael Chapman, Mail and Guardian, 10/10 John Higgins poses two interrelated questions in his book. What is or could be or should be academic freedom, both in South Africa and, by implication, globally; and what is or could be or should be the role of the humanities? Read more.

Offering refuge to endangered scholars Mark A. Angelson and Allan E. Goodman, Los Angeles Times, 10/09 The application from an Iraqi university professor to the Scholar Rescue Fund was chilling. It described how he had been pressured relentlessly by a local militia to promote its agenda in his publications. He had received multiple death threats, he wrote, including a message left in his classroom saying simply: "We are waiting for you." Read more.

Education bill becomes law despite autonomy concerns Naw Say Phaw Waa, University World News, 10/09 Myanmar’s overarching National Education Bill has finally been passed into law after being approved at the end of September by the Union Parliament – despite concerns from many groups about lack of autonomy for higher education institutions. Read more.

Turkey lacks academic freedom, not financing freedom: Harvard professor Sefer Levent, Hürriyet Daily News, 10/08 Turkey does not have freedom in academic research and is also lacking in academic quality rather than financial resources, according to Harvard Professor Dr. Gökhan Hotamışlıgil, who will continue his research with the $24 million donation recently made by Turkey’s Yıldız Holding. Read more.

Rouhani urges Iran universities to open up, dismisses spy fears Michelle Moghtader, Reuters, 10/07 President Hassan Rouhani called on Tuesday for Iran's universities to admit more foreign students and lecturers, dismissing conservatives' fears that more interaction with the outside world would encourage espionage. Read more.

Malaysia’s Deplorable Sedition Act The Editorial Board, The New York Times, 10/06 The Malaysian government has increasingly employed the Sedition Act, a British colonial era law, to intimidate and silence political opponents. The law criminalizes speech uttered [33]

“to excite disaffection” against the government and defines sedition so broadly that it is an invitation to authoritarian abuse. Read more.

43 Missing Students, a Mass Grave and a Suspect: Mexico’s Police Randal C. Archibold, The New York Times, 10/06 They were farm boys who did well in school and took one of the few options available beyond the backbreaking work in the corn and bean fields of southern Mexico: enrolling in a local teachers college with a history of radicalism but the promise of a stable classroom job. Read more.

How political tensions play out in Iran's universities The Guardian, 10/06 When Iranian students began classes on 23 September, the ministry of science, research, and technology – which oversees higher education – had no minister. Iran’s parliament sacked the incumbent Reza Farajidana in August, reflecting anxiety among conservative deputies over renewed political unrest among students. Read more.

For Gaza’s New Academic Year, A Fitful Start Rasha Faek and Janelle Dumalaon, Al-Fanar Media, 10/05 Most Arab students have already enrolled at university and are buckling down with new assignments. But many of their counterparts in Gaza are taking their seats in damaged—or overflowing—classrooms more than a month after the Gaza conflict ended. Read more.

Policing University Partnerships in Authoritarian Countries Karin Fischer, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 10/05 A year ago, Wellesley College found itself embroiled in a debate about academic freedom in China. Led by Thomas Cushman, a sociology professor at the college, a group of faculty members rallied support for a Peking University professor who said he was under fire for his political views. Read more.

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Dear friends,

• Togolese scholar of educational administration • Chinese scholar of mathematics • Eritrean scholar of mathematics and higher education • Ivorian scholar of religion • Syrian scholar of marketing • Iraqi scholar of political science

More information is available from the SAR network office at [email protected] and +1 212 998-2179. Thank you for your help.

Scholars of the Week

TOGO-506 Field: Educational Administration Risk: Harassment/Intimidation (displaced) Language: English, French (fluent), German (basic) Education: PhD (United States) Seeking: Opportunities beginning immediately to continue his teaching and research in the United StatesCHIN-590 Field: Mathematics Risk: Re-imprisonment, Harassment/intimidation (displaced) Language: Chinese (fluent), English (Intermediate) Education: PhD Seeking: Opportunities beginning immediately to continue his research and teaching in the United States

ERIT-529 Field: Mathematics, Higher Education Risk: Imprisonment/ Discrimination (displaced) Language: Tigrigna (native), English (fluent), Dutch (basic) Education: PhD (The Netherlands) Seeking: Opportunities beginning immediately to continue his research and teaching

SYRI-528 Field: Marketing; Management; Tourism Risk: Threat of arrest/violence Language: English (fluent), Arabic (fluent) Education: MBA (UK) Seeking: PhD study, research, and/or teaching beginning immediately

IRAQ-758 Field: Political Science Risk: Threat to life/person (displaced) Language: Arabic (fluent), English (fluent) Education: PhD (Italy) Seeking: Opportunities beginning Summer 2015 to continue teaching, researching, and/or writing in the United States [35]

Academic Freedom Media Review October 11 -17, 2014 Compiled by Scholars at Risk

U.S. Journalism Seminar Disrupted by Russian Immigration Officials Anna Dolgov, The Moscow Times, 10/17 A journalism workshop led by two prominent U.S. speakers in St. Petersburg has been canceled after immigration officials charged that he men had violated the terms of their visas and tried to get them deported from the country. Read more.

Female students from Darfur arrested and beaten in Sudan, says HRW Zeinab Mohammed Salih, The Guardian, 10/17 Sixteen female students are being held without charge in Sudan amid fears that they could face the death penalty after the government accused them of supporting Darfur rebel groups. The students, all from Darfur, were arrested in a police raid on their dormitory earlier this month. Read more.

Welsh minister amends bill over academic freedom fears Chris Havergal, Times Higher Education, 10/17 Amendments have been tabled to the Higher Education (Wales) Bill in a bid to safeguard institutional autonomy, in response to concerns expressed by Welsh Assembly members and universities that the legislation would hand “disproportionate” authority to the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales. Read more.

For Venezuelan academics, speaking out is risky business Lizzie Wade, Science, 10/16 When Ángel Sarmiento discovered that eight patients had died of an unidentified fever in the capital of Aragua state in Venezuela, he did what he was supposed to do: sound the alarm. But instead of heeding the announcement, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro accused the physician of fomenting "psychological terrorism." Read more.

Hong Kong’s students ask: if not now, when? Bruce Macfarlane, Times Higher Education, 10/16 I recently found myself in the curious position of teaching a session on academic freedom as part of a master’s course on higher education at the University of Hong Kong. I say curious because my session took place at the same time as a student-led pro-democracy protest took place in the downtown area demanding the right to freely choose Hong ong’s leader. Read more.

Mexico universities call strike in solidarity with missing students Renee Lewis and Débora Poo Soto, Al-Jazeera America, 10/15 Students from major Mexico City universities have called a two-day strike and were set to [36]

hold a rally Wednesday at the national attorney general’s office to call for the safe return of dozens of rural students who disappeared after clashes with police in Guerrero state last month, leading to public outrage. Read more.

Student Protests Continue in Egypt Despite Crackdown Robert Mackey, The New York Times, 10/14 Apparently undeterred by scores of recent arrests and the threat of expulsion, Egyptian students continued to protest Tuesday against the military-backed government that seized power last year, according to Aswat Masriya, an Egyptian news site sponsored by the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Read more.

Anita Sarkeesian cancels Utah State speech after mass-shooting threat Ryan Parker, Los Angeles Times, 10/14 Video game critic, feminist and blogger Anita Sarkeesian canceled a Wednesday speech at Utah State University after the college received an email threatening violence if she lectured, school officials said. Sarkeesian is a pop culture critic whose series of videos under the Feminist Frequency banner analyze sexism in mainstream video games. Her series has drawn death threats in the past. Read more.

Retrial Granted for Omid Kokabee, Raising hope for his release International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, 10/13 The request for a retrial for the imprisoned young scientist, Omid Kokabee, has been accepted by Branch 36 of the Supreme Court, according to okabee’s lawyer, Saeed Khalili, who posted the update on his Facebook page. “Acceptance of the retrial request means that the top judicial authority has deemed Dr. Omid okabee’s [initial] verdict against the law,” he wrote. Read more.

China detains scholar, bans books in crackdown on moderate voices Sui-Lee Wee and Megha Rajagopalan, Reuters, 10/13 China has detained a prominent scholar who helped blind dissident Chen Guangcheng flee to the United States two years ago and has banned books by eight writers in an escalating crackdown on dissent. Read more.

Academics are silenced, YÖK head says Today's Zaman, 10/12 Higher Education Board (YÖK) President Gökhan Çetinsaya, who spoke to Al Jazeera Turkey on Saturday, said academics in Turkey are silenced and not able to share with the public what they believe is true. In response to the question of why academic freedom could not be thoroughly achieved in Turkey, Professor Çetinsaya said the issue can only be resolved by consensus rather than new laws. Read more.

We Will Stop Here and Go No Further: Syrian University Students and Scholars in Turkey (2014) Institute for International Education The crisis in Syria continues to have a devastating impact on professors, university students, and the education sector, not only in Syria but also in the neighboring countries that are hosting so many displaced Syrians. In this report, the Institute of International Education (IIE) and its Syria Consortium for Higher Education in Crisis look at the

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conditions and educational needs of Syrian university students and scholars in Turkey. Read more.

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Last month Professor Ilham Tohti, an economics scholar and advocate for the rights of the Chinese Uighur minority community, was sentenced to life in prison for allegedly promoting separatism during his university lectures. During his two-day trial, the defense was not allowed to call any witnesses and foreign observers were barred from attending. The verdict sparked widespread international criticism, including by U.S. President Barack Obama, who stated that Professor Tohti deserves to be free.

And Professor Tohti is not alone. Right now hundreds of scholars around the world face similar risks, and it is our mission to stand up for their right – for everyone’s right – to be free to think.

Without the support of our network members the world would never know about many of these scholars’ stories. That is why your support is so important.

Our network is advocating for the rights of Professor Tohti and helping hundreds of other at- risk scholars. By assisting these scholars we are working to create a space where everyone can be free to think and where difficult questions can be discussed and debated without the use of intimidation or force.

These are touchstone values of a free and democratic society and we are asking you to stand with us in defending them. With your $50 donation, you can help us protect the right to be free to think.

We need you,

Rob Quinn

Executive Director

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Academic Freedom Media Review October 18-24, 2014 Compiled by Scholars at Risk

Plan To Move Women Out of Baghdad University is Halted Gilgamesh Nabeel, Al-Fanar Media, 10/23 Ongoing protests from students and faculty may have forced the Iraqi government to back off a controversial plan to carve out a new female-only institution from Baghdad University, the country’s oldest establishment of higher learning. Read more.

Beijing Formally Charges Writer Who Published Memoirs of Victims of Mao Era Chris Buckley, The New York Times, 10/23 The police in Beijing have formally charged an 81-year-old writer, Tie Liu, for privately publishing the testimony of aged or dead victims of Mao Zedong’s wrath and for writing scathing essays about Mao and present-day Communist Party leaders, Mr. Tie’s wife and his lawyer said on Thursday. Read more.

Universities see an edge in openness as they seek international advantage Oliver Chou, South China Morning Post, 10/23 Universities must hold firmly to the principals of academic freedom and to their international character in order to stay competitive in the challenging years ahead, leaders of local institutions have advised. Read more.

Bomb Outside Cairo University Wounds 10 Merrit Kennedy, Associated Press, 10/22 A bomb exploded outside Egypt's largest and most prominent university in the country's capital on Wednesday, wounding 10 people, including six policemen, the Interior Ministry said. Read more.

Universities under siege as academics and students flee University World News, 10/22 Scores of students and professors have left Iraqi universities as the militants of the self- styled Islamic State, or ISIS, continue to advance in Iraq and Syria. But now the group may want researchers to return. Read more.

Private university sacks professor over complaint against Erdoğan Today's Zaman, 10/22 According to the diken.com.tr news website, Professor Hayrettin Ökçesiz was sacked by [39]

the administration at Aydın University after a series of disciplinary proceedings. The university took disciplinary action against the professor shortly after he filed the complaint against Erdoğan. The complaint aimed to have Erdoğan investigated for his infraction of the regulations. Read more.

Ousted Vice-Chancellor Returns to His Post Albert Schram, University Values Bulletin, 10/21 I never thought in my career as an academic, I would be persecuted by a State for no other reason than doing my job. My case in Papua New Guinea (PNG) was not part of a systematic persecution of academics, but was as a result of my activities as Vice- Chancellor of the Papua New Guinea University of Technology starting in 2012. Read more.

Barred Iranian Human Rights Lawyer Stages Public Protest Radio Free Europe, 10/21 Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh staged a sit in on October 21 in Tehran in front of the country's Bar Association to protest a decision to ban her from practicing law for three years. Read more.

University blasts professor who called for annihilation of Palestinians Yarden Skop, Haaretz, 10/21 Bar-Ilan University yesterday condemned a Facebook post by a professor emeritus that called for annihilating the Palestinians. Read more.

Police forces return to Al-Azhar University Menna Zaki, Hend Kortam and Joel Gulhane, Daily News Egypt, 10/21 Demonstrations at Al-Azhar University and Ain Shams University took place Tuesday morning inside the university campuses were ended when security forces stormed in and broke them up. Read more.

Thai scholar faces royal insult charge over mediaeval king Reuters, 10/20 A prominent Thai intellectual has been accused of insulting a mediaeval king, a government spokesman said on Monday, and faces up to 15 years in jail if convicted. Read more.

Freedom of the press? Not for student newspapers Anna Fazackerley, The Guardian, 10/20 As the editor of Plymouth University’s student union paper, the nowledge, atie French felt she had a duty to hold her university to account. But four weeks before the deadline for her final-year dissertation she was threatened with expulsion when she printed a story that made Plymouth look bad. Read more.

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Dear friends,

• Ethiopian scholar of literature and folklore • Azerbaijani scholar of history and politics • Congolese scholar of political science • Pakistani scholar of human rights, religion and political science • Syrian scholar of marketing • Syrian scholar of archaeology

More information is available from the SAR network office at [email protected] and +1 212 998-2179. Thank you for your help.

Scholars of the Week

ETHI-557

Field: Ethiopian Literature and Folklore; Anthropology Risk: Threat of arrest/violence (displaced) Language: Amharic, Oromo, English (fluent) Education: PhD (ABD) Seeking: Opportunities beginning Summer 2015 to continue his research, writing and/or teaching in the United States

AZER-505

Field: History; Politics Risk: Threat to life/person; Threat of arrest/violence Language: Azeri (native), English (fluent) Education: PhD Seeking: Opportunities beginning immediately to continue his research and writing in the United States

DRCO-570

Field: Political Science, Sociology, Conflict Resolution Risk: Threat to life/person Language: French, Kiswahili (fluent) Education: MA Seeking: Opportunities beginning immediately to continue his teaching or research in French-speaking Africa, Europe, or North America

PAKI-545

Field: Human Rights, Religion, Political Science Risk: Threat to life/person Language: Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Seraiki, Farsi, Arabic (fluent), English (advanced)

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Education: MA Seeking: Opportunities beginning immediately to continue his research and writing in Europe

SYRI-528

Field: Marketing; Management; Tourism Risk: Threat of arrest/violence Language: English, Arabic (fluent) Education: MBA (UK) Seeking: PhD study, research, and/or teaching opportunities beginning immediately

SYRI-567

Dear friends,

• Ethiopian scholar of literature and folklore • Azerbaijani scholar of history and politics • Congolese scholar of political science • Pakistani scholar of human rights, religion and political science • Syrian scholar of marketing • Syrian scholar of archaeology

More information is available from the SAR network office at [email protected] and +1 212 998-2179. Thank you for your help.

Scholars of the Week

ETHI-557

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AZER-505

DRCO-570

PAKI-545

Field: Human Rights, Religion, Political Science Risk: Threat to life/person Language: Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Seraiki, Farsi, Arabic (fluent), English (advanced) Education: MA Seeking: Opportunities beginning immediately to continue his research and writing in Europe

SYRI-528

SYRI-567

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Dear friends,

• Ethiopian scholar of literature and folklore • Azerbaijani scholar of history and politics • Congolese scholar of political science • Pakistani scholar of human rights, religion and political science • Syrian scholar of marketing • Syrian scholar of archaeology

More information is available from the SAR network office at [email protected] and +1 212 998-2179. Thank you for your help.

Scholars of the Week ETHI-557

AZER-505

DRCO-570

PAKI-545

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SYRI-528

SYRI-567

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Dear SAR members and friends,

We are pleased to share the following position openings with Scholars at Risk for immediate applications. We would appreciate your sharing these with your lists and especially appreciate your recommendations of highly qualified candidates.

Sincerely,

Rob Quinn Executive Director

For immediate applications: Scholars at Risk position openings (6)

Scholars at Risk (SAR) is an international network of higher education institutions and individuals working to promote academic freedom and the human rights of members of higher education communities worldwide. Scholars at Risk’s mission is to protect scholars including professors, writers, artists, human rights defenders and other leaders around the world facing grave threats because of who they are and what they do. Scholars at Risk provides temporary sanctuary for threatened intellectuals at network member institutions, helping save lives and important, courageous voices. Scholars at Risk also helps with counseling, referrals and campaigns for scholars who are imprisoned or otherwise silenced, and conducts training, education and advocacy to promote university values worldwide. Information at www.scholarsatrisk.org and http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info.

Scholars at Risk seeks immediate applications for the following openings. Candidates interested in more than one position are invited to explain their interests in a single submission. All positions are based in the SAR offices at New York University, NY, USA.

1. Program Officer, Membership and University Relations

This position offers primary responsibility for managing SAR’s relationships with participating member universities and associations, SAR sections, and SAR partner networks. It is a full-time, temporary position posted as a maternity cover for up to 10 months, with the possibility of extension or conversion into a regular, full-time staff position. The position reports to SAR’s Executive Director and European Director. Click here for full position description.

2. Program Associate, Protection Services

This position supports SAR’s protection services, including reviewing, researching and assessing applications for assistance from scholars facing threats to their lives; providing support for placement efforts at SAR network member universities; communicating with scholars assisted by the network; providing scholars with advice and referrals; compiling nomination documents for SAR staff to share with network representatives; and supervising [46]

casework interns. It is a full-time, temporary position posted as a maternity cover for up to 10 months, with the possibility of extension or conversion into a regular, full-time staff position. The position reports to SAR’s Director for Protection Services. Click here for full position description.

3. Program Associate, External Relations

This position provides primary support to the Executive Director and board in all membership outreach, communications and fundraising activities including coordinating meeting schedules for the board, board committees and Executive Director; preparing letters, emails and other communications; tracking follow-up; drafting and editing outreach materials; researching contacts and cultivation opportunities. It is a full-time, temporary position posted as a maternity cover for up to 10 months, with the possibility of extension or conversion into a regular, full-time staff position. The position reports to SAR’s Executive Director and requires regular communication with other SAR staff, board members, advisory group members and donors. Click here for full position description.

4. Program Assistant, Administration

This position provides primary administrative support to the Executive Director for all program operations, including processing, tracking and reporting on revenue and expenses; processing and tracking invoices and reimbursements; assistance with scheduling meetings, travel and events; generating reports; compliance with all relevant host campus (NYU) procedures; general office administration; and maintenance and administration of program contact database entries, website, email and social media platforms. The position reports to SAR’s Executive Director and Program Officer for Membership and University Relations, and requires regular communication with other SAR staff, board members, advisory group members and donors. Click here for full position description.

5. P/T student worker, Protection Services (up to 20 hours per week):

This position provides primary support to the Protection Services team, including reviewing, researching and assessing applications for assistance from scholars facing threats to their lives; providing support for placement efforts at SAR network member universities; communicating with scholars assisted by the network; and compiling nomination documents for SAR staff to share with network representatives. The position reports to a Program Officer for Protection Services. Click here for full position description.

6. P/T student worker, External and university relations (up to 20 hours per week):

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This position provides primary support to the External Relations and Membership staff in all membership outreach, communications and fundraising activities. The position reports to a Program Officer/Associate, and requires regular communication with other SAR staff, board members, advisory group members and donors. Click here for full position description.

HOW TO APPLY: PLEASE APPLY IMMEDIATELY (no phone calls or email inquiries, please) by emailing in a single document: (1) a letter of interest, (2) resume, (3) list of references or letters of reference, and (4) a brief, unedited writing sample. Please use "[Position title]-[Your last name]" as the subject of your email. Applications accepted on a rolling basis until the positions are filled. Submit to [email protected]. SAR-NYU does not discriminate due to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender and/or gender identity or expression, marital or parental status, national origin, ethnicity, citizenship status, veteran or military status, age, disability, unemployment status or any other legally protected basis, and to the extent permitted by law. Qualified candidates of diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds are encouraged to apply. (Regrettably, SAR is not able to sponsor work-eligible visas for these positions.)

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Academic Freedom Media Review October 25 - 31, 2014 Compiled by Scholars at Risk

Toronto School District Cancels Plans for Confucius Institute Austin Ramzy, The New York Times, 10/30 The Toronto District School Board’s vote to cancel plans for a Confucius Institute marks the latest setback for China’s language- and culture-based soft-power initiative. Read more.

As Syria's War Rages Next Door, Students Violently Clash At Turkey's Oldest University Sophia Jones, The Huffington Post, 10/30 Forty years ago, Istanbul University was a battleground for clashes between leftist and far- right student activists, leading up to the Turkish military's brutal takeover in the 1980 coup. Now, it seems the spirit of revolt is back: Syria's war has come to the classroom. Read more.

Egypt Targets Universities As Last Haven For Political Expression Mahmoud Mourad, Reuters, 10/30 Hundreds of police surround its walls, patrolling in armored vehicles with sirens blaring, while muscle-bound security guards man metal detectors, searching all who enter. But this is not a military barracks or police station, it is Cairo University, where the government has tightened security as it seeks to avert another year of unrest on university campuses, among the last bastions of protest and dissent in Egypt. Read more.

Iran MPs reject Rouhani's nominee for science minister BBC News, 10/29 The Iranian parliament has rejected the government's choice for science minister, in a new setback for reformist President Hassan Rouhani. Lawmakers voted 160 to 79 against the nomination of Mahmoud Nili-Ahmadabadi. The previous minister was sacked by parliament for what critics claimed were his sympathies to the opposition. Read more.

Civil servants barred from China study after spies row Mimi Leung and Yojana Sharma, University World News, 10/29 Taiwanese civil servants involved in national security work will be barred from pursuing advanced studies in mainland China, Taiwan’s Interior Minister Chen Wei-Zen announced last Wednesday, saying the ban would become effective from 30 October. Read more.

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China Seizes Jailed Uyghur Scholar's Savings, Sparking Fears Over Family Home Qiao Long, Radio Free Asia, 10/28 Nearly U.S.$140,000 in savings have been drained from the bank account of jailed Uyghur scholar Ilham Tohti, as the ruling Chinese Communist Party enforces its seizure of his assets, sparking fears that his young family may be evicted from their Beijing apartment, his wife said on Tuesday. Read more.

Human Rights in Iran Worsen, U.N. Investigator Says Somini Sengupta, The New York Times, 10/27 Executions have surged in Iran and oppressive conditions for women have worsened, a United Nations investigator said on Monday, drawing attention to rights abuses just as Iran’s president is pushing for a diplomatic breakthrough with the West. Read more.

Guns on Campus Have Already Curtailed Free Speech Jennifer Sinor, Chronicle of Higher Education, 10/27 Earlier this month, the feminist and media critic Anita Sarkeesian was scheduled to speak to students on the campus of Utah State University. The day before her talk, emails were sent to staff and faculty threatening violence if Sarkeesian was allowed to proceed. Read more.

Suspended for Irony and Sighing Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed, 10/27 While American universities debate whether "civility" is an appropriate way to evaluate faculty members, a British institution has faced intense criticism for punishing a faculty member for sighing, unfriendly body language and the use of irony. Read more.

Singapore Film Ban Creates Free Speech Issue Voice of America, 10/26 The documentary, “To Singapore, with Love,” has screenings planned this month from Britain to India to Malaysia. One place it won’t be playing: Singapore. The government here banned the film, which presents vignettes of Singaporean dissidents who fled decades ago “to escape the prospect of detention without trial,” as the film’s website says. Read more.

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October 2014 New Members

• University of Guelph, Canada • Lund University, Sweden • The European University Association (EUA) joined SAR as a partner network.

Scholar in Prison Alerts

Scholars at Risk recently circulated alerts or information updates on the following scholars. For more information on SAR’s efforts on behalf of imprisoned scholars, please visit: http://scholarsatrisk.nyu.edu/Education-Advocacy/Alerts-Scholars-in-Prison.php. • Omid Kokabee (Physics): Good news! Retrial granted

University Hosts

• The University of Oslo, Norway, welcomed to campus a Pakistani scholar for the 2014-2015 academic year. • The University of Bergen, Norway, offered an Iranian scholar a one-year extension of his position. • Freie Universität Berlin, Germany, welcomed a Syrian scholar to campus for the 2014-2015 academic year. • New York University, USA, invited a Syrian scholar to campus for Spring and Summer 2015. One of the above scholars is in receipt of a fellowship from the Institute of International Education’s Scholar Rescue Fund.

Events

Past events October 2, Netherlands: The annual meeting of the UAF-Scholars at Risk network in the Netherlands and Belgium took place in Utrecht, with 30 SAR scholars and university representatives in attendance. Length and quality of SAR placements were discussed, and SAR-Norway representative Karen-Lise Knudsen shared experiences with implementing the Scholars at Risk program at universities in Norway. SAR Program Officer Lauren Crain also joined via Skype to share with scholars best practices for planning ahead during their academic placement, including networking and job search advice. October 2-3, California: SAR Executive Director Robert Quinn participated in the meeting of law deans of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU), held at SAR university member UC Davis. Rob spoke about the importance of promoting higher education values in quality international partnerships, and extended an invitation to all APRU members to join the SAR network. October 9-10, Italy: SAR Executive Director Robert Quinn was a panelist in the Human Rights session of the La Pietra Dialogues on “Public Humanities.” The event took place at the Villa La Pietra on the campus of NYU Florence. Copies of Rob's remarks are available here. October 14th, Washington, D.C.: SAR Executive Director Robert Quinn was part of a delegation representing the Higher Education Working Group (HEWG) of the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA), of which Scholars at Risk is a part. The group met with representatives of higher education associations and networks regarding the HEWG's project [51]

promoting formal, inter-state recognition of four "Principles of State Responsibility to Protect Higher Education from Attack." The meetings followed previous consultations in Brussels in December 2013 and Amsterdam in April 2014 (in conjunction with the SAR Network Congress). October 24, New York: The Institute of International Education’s Scholar Rescue Fund held its inaugural summit, “Protecting Threatened Scholars: Collective Action during Repression, Crisis and Conflict.” SAR Executive Director Robert Quinn participated in a panel discussion on “Protector or Perpetrator? – Government Response to and Complicity in Attacks Against Scholars”. Copies of Rob's remarks are available here. October 28, Virginia: Through the SAR Speaker Series, a scholar from Syria visited George Mason University to share his experiences and expertise with the campus community. Entitled “Syria: From Peaceful Revolution to Humanitarian Catastrophe,” his talk examined Syria’s history in the context of current events.

Upcoming events

November 7, Norway: The SAR-Norway section will hold its annual membership meeting and general assembly at University of Tromsø - Arctic University of Norway. On the evening prior, November 6th, the SAR-Norway section will hold a public event dedicated to academic freedom. November 20, United Kingdom: CARA, SAR’s partner organization in the UK, invites you to the Science & Civilisation Annual Lecture at The Royal Society, commemorating Albert Einstein’s Royal Albert Hall speech on the 5 October 1933 against the persecution of academics. Professor Sir George Radda CBE will be giving a talk on Biomedical Knowledge in the Service of Man: Social Responsibility of the Scientist. The talk will be chaired by CARA President, Professor Sir Malcolm Grant CBE. To register click here. December 2-3, Azerbaijan: SAR Advocacy Officer Jesse Levine will participate in the annual meeting of the European Students Union (ESU), a representative body composed of 47 student unions across Europe. Jesse will present information on the SAR Academic Freedom Monitoring Project and invite participation in the project by constituent ESU unions. December 2-3, Belgium: SAR European Director, Sinead O’Gorman, will participate in a workshop in Brussels organized by the European Commission on “Enhancing Coordination between Programmes for Temporary Relocation of Human Rights Defenders”. December 3-5, Sweden: SAR Speaker Series events will take place in Gothenburg, Malmö and Lund featuring Dr. Shirin Zubair from Pakistan, Marit Egner from the SAR-Norway Section, Sinead O’Gorman, SAR’s European Director, and representatives from the host institutions in three cities. More information forthcoming. December 10, Ireland: Universities Ireland in partnership with Scholars at Risk will hold an event at Trinity College Dublin to launch a new SAR-Ireland section coordinating committee and to mark Human Rights Day. More details forthcoming.

SAR Academic Freeom Monitor The SAR Academic Freedom MONITOR focuses on developing greater understanding of the volume and nature of attacks on higher education communities in order to develop more effective protection responses. The MONITOR aims to identify, assess and track incidents involving conduct which may constitute violations of academic freedom and/or the human rights of members of higher education communities.

In October, SAR reported on how feminist media critic Anita Sarkeesian had to cancel a speaking engagement at Utah State University, after the school received an anonymous email threatening “the

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deadliest school shooting in American history” if the event went forward. For full report, please see http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-10-14-utah-state-university .

SAR Media Review

Each week, SAR compiles articles pertaining to academic freedom and higher education communities worldwide.

The most read Media Review articles in October were: • “ Double Standard at Illinois” by John K. Wilson, Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2014/10/02/essay-sees-double-standard-how-u-illinois- responds-controversial-professors • “Freedom of the press? Not for student newspapers” by Anna Fazackerley, The Guardian. http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/oct/21/student-newspapers-clash-universities-students- unions-gags • “Another U.S. University Severs Ties to Confucius Institute” by Andrew Jacobs and Jess Macy Yu, The New York Times. http://sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/02/penn-state-severs-ties- to-confucius-institute/?_php=true&_type=blogs&partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0

Archived academic freedom news can be found here.

New Resources from Partners

• The Institute of International Education and its Syria Consortium for Higher Education in Crisis released a new report which examines the conditions and educational needs of Syrian university students and scholars in Turkey. The report entitled “We Will Stop Here and Go No Further: Syrian University Students and Scholars in Turkey” is available here.

• An LSE podcast on ‘Academics in Exile’ talks about what happens when academics turn enemy of the state. Stephen Wordsworth, Executive Director of CARA, SAR's partner organization in the UK, talks about the beginnings the charity first created to assist academics escaping the Holocaust, and how, 80 years later, academics in harm’s way from Zimbabwe to Syria, still rely on CARA’s support. Refugees from Algeria and Uzbekistan also discuss their journey from academics to exiles and how CARA helped them to rebuild their professional lives in the UK. To listen click here.

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Academic Freedom Media Review November 1 - 7, 2014 Compiled by Scholars at Risk

(Non) Peer Review Kaitlin Mulhere, Inside Higher Ed, 11/07 It's not every day that a university president shares concerns with the public about a faculty study. And in Nevada, some are wondering whether doing so is appropriate, especially following complaints in private communications with business leaders. Read more.

Military trials for students spark concerns Ashraf Khaled, University World News, 11/ 06 A new law in Egypt allowing military trials for students accused of attacking university facilities has raised concerns among academics and rights advocates about freedoms in the country. Earlier this month President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who temporarily holds legislative power, issued the controversial law authorising the army to join the police in protecting state institutions, including public universities. Read more.

Thai Man Convicted of Defaming King on Facebook Associated Press, 11/04 A Thai court sentenced a university student to 2 1/2 years in prison on Tuesday for posting a message on Facebook that the court said insulted the country's king. A Criminal Court judge found 24-year old Akkaradet Eiamsuwan guilty of violating Thailand's lese majeste law, which punishes people who defame, insult or threaten the monarchy. Read more.

'UnKoch My Campus' Kaitlin Mulhere, Inside Higher Ed, 11/04 Students on nearly 30 campuses around the country called for a separation of college and corporation in protests Monday. Although the events highlighted financial influence from the Koch brothers, organizers said the campaign is a response to a broader trend of corporate influence. Read more.

Jailed Uyghur Scholar Tohti Gets Award Despite Beijing's Intervention Arslan Tash and Mihray Abdilim, Radio Free Asia, 11/04 Journalists in Turkey have awarded a freedom prize to jailed Uyghur scholar Ilham Tohti, rejecting demands by the Chinese authorities not to confer the award on the outspoken [54]

professor. The Bartın Province Journalists Association and International Journalism Association For Turkic-Speaking Countries gave Tohti the “Ismail Gaspirali Turkic World Freedom Award” at a ceremony at the small province in northern Turkey on the Black Sea Saturday. Read more.

Think tanks face hurdle in answering Xi Jinping's call Cary Huang, South China Morning Post, 11/03 In calling for a new type of Chinese think tank, President Xi Jinping wants institutions that can compete with American ones in spreading soft power abroad and help refine policies at home, analysts say. But the leadership at the same time is demanding greater political fidelity from researchers. Read more.

Scholars in Danger Join World's Refugees Aisha Labi, Chronicle of Higher Education, 11/03 Their stories are grim. A Syrian engineer flees the country after being detained and tortured by government forces. A writer and human-rights activist escapes following threats from members of a far-right political group in Greece. In Thailand, a military coup forces an outspoken anthropologist to seek refuge abroad. Read more.

Hong Kong, Ferrets and the Future of Academic Freedom Andrys Onsman, Inside Higher Ed, 11/02 In her excellent book on education hubs Jane Knight offers a lot of interesting points and analyses. There are a number of cities and regions that are actively promoting themselves as education hubs, often investing money, real estate and personnel to attract HE providers with a recognised brand — Singapore, Hong Kong, Qatar, Seoul, UAE, Botswana, Panama City, Monterey and new entrants such as Sri Lanka, Mauritius and Bahrain. Read more.

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Academic Freedom Media Review November 8 - 14, 2014 Compiled by Scholars at Risk

Mexico's 43 missing students: Who are they? Catherine E. Shoichet and Rafael Romo, CNN, 11/14 It's a staggering statistic: 43 college students from the same school, all hoping to become teachers someday -- all missing and feared dead. Their disappearance became a flashpoint for national protests. Mexico's President met their parents. The Pope sent them prayers. Mexico's attorney general says they were captured by police on the orders of a local mayor, handed over to a drug gang and executed. Read more.

U. of Illinois Board Clears Way for Rehiring of Ex-Terrorist as Instructor Peter Schmidt, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 11/14 The University of Illinois’s Board of Trustees on Thursday left academic units on the system’s Urbana-Champaign campus free to make their own decision about rehiring as a part-time instructor James W. Kilgore, a former member of the Symbionese Liberation Army who served time for his role in a 1975 bank robbery that resulted in a murder. Read more.

Politics strain Turkey's first Kurdish-language institute Fehim Taştekin, Al-Monitor, 11/13 The Institute of Living Languages, founded in 2010 at Artuklu University in Turkey’s southeastern city of Mardin, was one of Ankara’s most tangible steps in efforts to resolve the urdish problem. It became Turkey’s first urdiology department and the first to teach the Syriac language. Described as a “revolution” by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the institute has been a glimmer of hope amid the many snags hampering the Kurdish peace process. Read more.

Thai police ban Scot's book for 'insulting' royal family BBC News, 11/13 Thai police have banned imports of a book by a Scottish journalist because it is "insulting to the country's monarchy". A Kingdom In Crisis, by Andrew MacGregor Marshall, was released last week by British publishers Zed Books. Thai police chief General Somyot Poompanmoung said its contents "might affect national security and order". Read more.

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Anti-coup academics taking refuge in the United States Pravit Rojanaphruk, The Nation, 11/13 The United States has become a safe haven for anti-coup academics from Thailand with Yukti Mukdawijitra, an Thammasat University anthropologist, the latest to escape perceived political repression here. Read more.

‘The Ideal and the Real’ Elizabeth Redden, Inside Higher Ed, 11/12 A new report from the American Council on Education highlights the challenges involved when U.S. universities establish dual and joint degree programs with institutions abroad. While joint and dual degree programs are often described as mechanisms for achieving deep internationalization of the curriculum, the reality is often different, the report suggests. Read more.

Talk, Not Tear Gas: Colleges Soften Their Approach to Student Protests Mary Bowerman and Peter Schmidt, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 11/12 When students staged a sit-in at Colgate University’s admissions office in September to protest racial intolerance on the campus, perhaps the biggest news was what didn’t happen. No students were arrested or removed from the building. No one accused the campus police of heavy-handedness or administrators of trampling free-speech rights. Read more.

'No Room' For Further Dialogue With Students: Hong Kong Government Radio Free Asia, 11/11 The Hong Kong government on Tuesday ruled out further dialogue with student leaders of a mass pro-democracy protest that has blocked major roads in the former British colony for six weeks, as a court gave the green light to police to arrest anyone blocking roads it has ordered cleared. Read more.

Franz Kafka: Meet the Islamic State John Dyer and Gilgamesh Nabeel, Al-Fanar Media, 11/09 Students can wait at a Kurdish checkpoint for up to six hours.Students can wait at a Kurdish checkpoint for up to six hours. Iraqi university students living in Islamic-State controlled areas are finding themselves in an Arabic version of a Kafka tale, with a war- zone atmosphere and plot twists centered on checkpoints. But for the students, their arduous journeys to get their diplomas are all too real. Read more.

Venezuela to educate 1,000 Palestinians through scholarship program Haaretz, 11/09 At least 1,000 Palestinians will receive a free university education in Venezuela. The president of the Republic of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, welcomed 119 Palestinian students who will be trained in the field of medicine through the new Yasser Arafat Scholarship Program, and announced the expansion of the program. Read more.

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This weekend the New York Times chronicled the dire Number of Academic Refugees Grows situation confronting academics in Iraq and Syria, Aisha Labi | Nov. 16, 2014 noting that the situation for higher education in these countries and around the region has reached a crisis Their stories are grim. point not seen since WWII. If higher education leaders and institutions in safe countries around A Syrian engineer escapes the country after the world don't act now, we risk losing an entire being detained and tortured by government generation. forces. A writer and human rights activist flees Greece following threats from members of a far- right political group. In Thailand, a military coup forces an outspoken anthropologist to seek Scholars at Risk members are responding to the crisis refuge abroad. Read more. and we are helping many from the conflict zones already. We must help more! We can help more! We will help more! But we need your help:  Will you/your institution pledge to sponsor/host at least 1 scholar or student in 2015? Click here to send your pledge to sponsor/host. .  Will you/your institution join the Scholars at Risk network, or help encourage friends at other institutions to join and do their part? Click here to join the network.

The need is urgent. Please help us. Together we can save a generation.

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Academic Freedom Media Review November 15 - 21, 2014 Compiled by Scholars at Risk

Chinese court rejects Ilham Tohti appeal Associated Press, 11/21 A Chinese court has upheld the separatism conviction and life sentence for a noted scholar from China’s Muslim Uighur minority who frequently criticised the government while advocating ethnic pride and greater economic opportunity. Ilham Tohti was accused of fomenting unrest in the far western region of Xinjiang during a closed-door trial in September in the regional capital of Urumqi. Read more.

Sector urged to put brakes on Confucius Institutes’ expansion Chris Parr, Times Higher Education, 11/20 Confucius Institutes are a threat to the principles of academic freedom and incidences of scholarly malpractice are “disturbingly common”, according to a new book about the Chinese government-funded centres. The institutes, which have branches on hundreds of university campuses, are under the control of Hanban, a branch of China’s Ministry of Education that supplies funds to cover the cost of set-up and provision of Chinese language instructors, an arrangement that ostensibly benefits everyone. Read more.

A Conversation With an Advocate For Academic Freedom Sarah Lynch, Al-Fanar Media, 11/18 A road that snakes through hillside towns in northern Istanbul leads to one of Turkey’s most exclusive higher learning institutions: oç University. There, the university’s president, Umran Inan, governs with a hands-off approach from his office overlooking a campus courtyard on the edge of the Bosporus. The fans of his style say that it should serve as an example for the region. Read more.

Newspaper Calls on Chinese Academics to Cut the Criticism Austin Ramzy, The New York Times, 11/17 A Chinese newspaper’s look into university professors’ criticism of China has triggered an online debate about academic freedom and whether scholars have a patriotic duty to refrain from making overly negative comments about the country, its society and its political system. Liaoning Daily, a Communist Party-run newspaper in northeast China, published

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the article, “Teacher, Please Don’t Talk About China Like That: An Open Letter to Teachers of Philosophy and Social Science,” last week in response to a comment it received from a university student who complained about how “talking bad about China and cursing our society has become fashionable” in class. Read more.

Harvard researcher harassed after speaking out against AKP Pinar Tremblay, Al-Monitor, 11/17 On May 31, then-Turkish President Abdullah Gul visited Harvard University. The event coincided with the one-year anniversary of the Gezi Park protests. Emrah Altindis, a research fellow at Harvard Medical School, dared to remind Gul of the anniversary and asked whether he was embarrassed to be the president of Turkey. Read more.

Bangladesh Police Detain 20 After Killing of University Professor Syed Zain Al-Mahmood, Wall Street Journal, 11/17 Police in Bangladesh detained 20 people over the weekend after the killing of a university professor was linked to what is possibly a previously unknown Islamic militant group. Shafiul Islam, who taught sociology at the University of Rajshahi in northern Bangladesh, was fatally stabbed Saturday afternoon near his home on a campus where political feuds have turned violent in the past, police said. Read more.

Steven Salaita files lawsuit against the University of Illinois Jodi S. Cohen, Chicago Tribune, 11/17 Controversial professor Steven Salaita, whose job offer at the University of Illinois was rescinded after he made anti-Israel comments on social media, filed a lawsuit Monday alleging that the university has violated the state's open records law. The lawsuit, filed in Champaign County court, contends the university failed to comply with the Illinois Freedom of Information Act by refusing to produce documents that Salaita's attorneys requested. Read more.

Students Hold Fourth Day of Protests Against Myanmar Education Law Radio Free Asia, 11/17 Hundreds of Myanmar students on Monday held a fourth consecutive day of protests against a new education law they say will limit academic freedom, as the leader of a prominent democracy group called for the government to open new talks with the demonstrators. The students marched through the commercial capital Yangon to City Hall, where they displayed signs and shouted slogans calling for amendments to the National Education Law, which restricts the formation of student unions and creates a commission to oversee the country’s education system. Read more.

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Dear friends,

• Cameroonian scholar of political philosophy and human rights • Syrian scholar of marketing and tourism • Syrian scholar of archaeology • Eritrean scholar of sociology • Pakistani scholar of applied linguistics and education • Chinese scholar of mathematics More information is available from the SAR network office at [email protected] and +1 212 998-2179. Thank you for your help.

Scholars of the Week CAME-537 Field: Political philosophy; Human rights Risk: Harassment/Intimidation (displaced) Language: French, English (fluent) Education: PhD Seeking: Opportunities beginning Summer 2015 to continue his teaching and research SYRI-528 Field: Marketing; Management; Tourism Risk: Threat of arrest/violence Language: English, Arabic (fluent) Education: MBA (UK) Seeking: PhD study, research, and/or teaching opportunities beginning immediately

SYRI-567 Field: Archaeology Risk: Threat to life; Risk of arrest and violence (displaced) Language: English (fluent), German (intermediate), Akkadian (proficient) Education: PhD (UK) Seeking: Opportunities beginning Fall 2015 to continue her teaching and research ERIT-005 Field: Sociology Risk: Risk of arrest/violence (displaced) Language: Saho, Tigre, Tigrigna, Arabic, German (fluent), English (fluent) Education: PhD (Germany) Seeking: Opportunities beginning January 2015 to continue his teaching and research in Norway PAKI-569 Field: Applied linguistics; Education Risk: Threat to life/person with academic trigger (displaced) Language: Urdu (native), English (fluent) Education: PhD (UK) Seeking: Opportunities beginning Fall 2015 to continue teaching and researching in the United States

CHIN-590 Field: Mathematics Risk: Re-imprisonment, Harassment/intimidation (displaced) Language: Chinese (fluent), English (Intermediate) Education: PhD Seeking: Opportunities beginning immediately to continue his research and teaching in the United States

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New Members

Georgetown University, USA Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen, the Netherlands

New Alerts Scholars at Risk recently circulated alerts or information updates on the following scholars. For more information on SAR’s efforts on behalf of imprisoned scholars, please visit: http://scholarsatrisk.nyu.edu/Education-Advocacy/Alerts-Scholars-in-Prison.php. • Ilham Tohti of China (Economics): Appeals Court upheld sentence New Hosts

• Central European University, Hungary, offered an Eritrean scholar a six month research position • Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (HvA), the Netherlands, offered a Syrian scholar a one year research position

Events

Past event November 7, Norway: The present Steering Committee and Chair/Secretariat of the SAR Norway Section were re-elected for the next two years at the Section’s annual membership meeting and general assembly at University of Tromsø - Arctic University of Norway (UIT). The evening before, November 6, an International Seminar was held for over 70 people, arranged by UiT and the local chapter of the Norwegian Students’ and Academics’ International Assistance Fund (SAIH). The theme was “Malala in context – gender, education and freedoms in Pakistan”. There were introductions and discussions with a professor at UIT and a SAR scholar.

Upcoming events December 2-3, Belgium: SAR European Director, Sinead O’Gorman, will participate in a workshop in Brussels organized by the European Commission on “Enhancing Coordination between Programmes for Temporary Relocation of Human Rights Defenders”.

December 3-5, Sweden: SAR Speaker Series events will take place in Gothenburg, Malmö and Lund featuring Dr. Shirin Zubair from Pakistan, Marit Egner from the University of Oslo, Sinead O’Gorman, SAR’s European Director, and representatives from the host institutions in three cities.

December 10, Ireland: Universities Ireland in partnership with Scholars at Risk will hold an event at Trinity College Dublin to launch a new SAR-Ireland section coordinating committee and to mark Human Rights Day. SAR’s European Director Sinead O’Gorman, Shadi Sadr, and the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran will participate in the event. For more information, please contact: [email protected] .

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December 10, Washington DC: SAR Executive Director Rob Quinn will give the keynote presentation at the AAAS Human Rights Day 2014. For more information please see: http://www.aaas.org/event/human-rights-day-2014 .

December 15, New Jersey: SAR Program Officer Denise LiGreci will present on “Human Rights and Social Responsibility of Scientists” at the 112th Statistical Mechanics Conference, taking place at Rutgers University. For more information, please see http://www.math.rutgers.edu/events/smm/.

February 12-13, New York: The Center for Public Scholarship is pleased to present the 32nd Social Research conference, “The Fear of Art” at The New School in New York City. The conference aims to examine how art can threaten, terrify, and provoke the wrath of political, religious, and cultural regimes. Speakers—including a SAR scholar-artist—will examine the history of art censorship, the role of artists as collaborators and rebels, and the self-censorship of gallery and museum directors. The agenda also pairs artists and scholars to discuss activist art, the threat posed by art, the potency of art, artists at risk, and artists in exile. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, please see: http://www.newschool.edu/cps/fear-of-art/

Academic Freedom MONITOR

The SAR Academic Freedom MONITOR focuses on developing greater understanding of the volume and nature of attacks on higher education communities in order to develop more effective protection responses. The MONITOR aims to identify, assess and track incidents involving conduct which may constitute violations of academic freedom and/or the human rights of members of higher education communities.

On November 15, 2014, Shafiul Islam, a professor of sociology at Rajshahi University in Bangladesh, was attacked while on his route home by a group of individuals wielding blunt objects. He was rushed to the hospital, where he died of his injuries. To read more about this incident and for other incidents reported during the month of November, please see http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/ .

Scholarship Opportunity

The Erasmus Mundus CARIBU program, on which SAR is an associate partner, is offering masters and PhD students and university staff scholarships to nationals of Egypt, Morocco, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Mozambique, Gambia, Ghana, the Bahamas, Suriname, Timor-Leste, and Samoa. The deadline to apply is 31 January 2014 at 23:59 GMT. For more information, please see www.caribu.be.

Gifts to SAR Since November 1

Irv Epstein in Memory of Jared Epstein

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Imagine being arrested for something you allegedly said, but no one will tell you what it was--not your accuser, not the police, not even the judge. They tell you it is 'too awful to repeat'. How could you defend yourself? How would you feel? Now imagine the crime you are accused of carries the death penalty.

This nightmare is Professor Mohammad Shah's reality. He sits in prison day after day, unable to mount a defense in his capital trial because no one will even tell him what he reportedly said that resulted in his prosecution for blasphemy. And he is not alone. This is the reality confronting many scholars Scholars at Risk is working to protect.

And these are the lucky ones--in 2014 a number of scholars accused under blasphemy laws were assassinated. Mob violence, hearsay and opaque prosecutions are being used to punish free inquiry, silence dissent and intimidate entire higher education communities.

Scholars at Risk is working to protect scholars being prosecuted under opaque and overbroad blasphemy, lese majeste, sedition and defamation laws. We need your help. Your $100 gift today will help us to help these scholars in need, and help us to stand up for the right to think, question, and share ideas, freely and safely.

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Academic Freedom Media Review November 22 - December 5, 2014 Compiled by Scholars at Risk

China's influence threatens American universities, experts say Matt Hansen, Los Angeles Times, 12/05 he Chinese government's influence over American universities is broad and deep, ranging from such subtle pressures as the denial of visas for vocal American scholars to more overt efforts, including opening Chinese cultural institutes on U.S. college campuses, experts on human rights and education told lawmakers Thursday. Read more.

Gunmen attack residence of lawyer defending blasphemy accused in Multan Agence France Presse, 12/04 Gunmen opened fire at the residence of a lawyer defending a university lecturer accused of blasphemy and dropped a letter warning him to withdraw from the case, police said on Thursday. Shahbaz Gormani escaped unhurt after gunmen riding motorbikes attacked his residence in Multan late Wednesday. Read more.

Threatened scholar speaks on academic freedom Malmö University, 12/04 Malmö University is first in Sweden to give a lecture within the international network Scholars at Risk. Pakistani Professor Shirin Zubair is one of the scholars protected through the global network. On December 3 she talked about academic freedom and the threats to higher education. Read more.

Singapore-Style Academic Freedom John Morgan, Times Higher Education, 12/04 The potential for Western universities to forge links with Singapore is growing, but they should not take a “normative approach” on freedom of expression in the city state, according to the president of Nanyang Technological University. Read more.

Thomas Docherty on academic freedom Thomas Docherty, Times Higher Education, 12/04 The concept of academic freedom is a product of the modern era. Its exercise is usually considered in terms of the questioning of received wisdom within a discipline; and most non-academics might wonder why we get so concerned about it, thinking that we arrogantly consider ourselves deserving of special attention or privilege. Read more.

Backlash against Chinese plan to film professors Agence France Presse, 12/03 A Chinese province's plans to install CCTV cameras in university classrooms have come [65]

under fire from lawyers who say the move will curb academic freedom, state-run media said Wednesday. Guizhou province in southern China has declared that all higher education institutions should set up cameras to "monitor teachers", the Global Times reported. Read more.

ISIS Takeover In Iraq: Mosul University Students, Faculty Uncertain About The Future Of Higher Education Julia Glum, International Business Times, 12/02 Almost six months have passed since the Islamic State group shut down one of the Middle East's biggest research and education centers, and there's still no sign of relief in Iraq's second-largest city. The University of Mosul, in northern Iraq, was scheduled to reopen last week, but its inactive Facebook page and website indicate that classes remain canceled. Read more.

Thailand: Unending Repression 6 Months Post-Coup Human Rights Watch, 11/25 Thailand’s military government is severely repressing fundamental rights and freedoms six months after its May 22, 2014 coup. The ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has shown no genuine signs of restoring democratic civilian rule. Read more.

Seven Students of Jailed Uyghur Scholar Stand Trial For 'Separatism Qiao Long and Wen Yuqing, Radio Free Asia, 11/25 Chinese authorities in the troubled northwestern region of Xinjiang put on trial seven former students of jailed Uyghur scholar Ilham Tohti on “separatism' charges on Tuesday, according to a top human rights lawyer. "The trial of the seven students in the Ilham Tohti case has just wrapped up," Beijing-based Li Fangping, one of Tohti's defense team, said Tuesday in a post on his microblog. Read more.

Behind the student protests Wa Lone, Myanmar Times, 11/24 Student activism is back. Marching through the streets, chanting slogans and holding blood- red student union flags and banners reading “Education not for sale”, “Fight for democratic education” and “Say no to National Education Law”, Myanmar’s more activist-minded students have once again made headlines around the world. Read more.

Turkish universities struggle under ideological appointments Today's Zaman, 11/23 The problem of ensuring the independence of universities has, in the face of political intervention and involvement, become more complicated and less likely to succeed, given recent appointments of rectors by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Read more.

Geen salafist meer te bekennen op de Manouba-universiteit in Tunis Rob Vreeken, De Volkskrant, 11/21 en donkergrijze, stenen vlam op een witte sokkel. Er bovenop wappert de Tunesische vlag, rood met een ster en een halve maan. 'Lantaarn van de kennis' heet het beeld, want we zijn hier op de campus van de universiteit Manouba in Tunis, faculteit letteren, kunsten en menswetenschappen. Read more.

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Dear friends,

• Azerbaijani scholar of history and politics • Togolese scholar of educational administration • Iraqi scholar of English literature • Syrian scholar of biology and ecology • Iranian scholar of political satire and journalism • Congolese scholar of law and human rights More information is available from the SAR network office at [email protected] and +1 212 998-2179. Thank you for your help.

Scholars of the Week

TOGO-506 Field: Educational administration Risk: Harassment/Intimidation (displaced) Language: English, French (fluent), German (basic) Education: PhD (United States) Seeking: Opportunities beginning immediately to continue his teaching and research in the United States IRAQ-743 Field: English Literature Risk: Threat of re-arrest/violence (displaced) Language: English, Arabic (fluent) Education: PhD (ABD) (UK) Seeking: Research and teaching opportunities in North America and the Middle East beginning Spring 2015

SYRI-534 Field: Biology, Ecology Risk: General situational risk (displaced) Language: Arabic, English (fluent) Education: PhD (UK) Seeking: Opportunities to continue his research, writing, and/or teaching beginning Fall 2015

IRAN-656

Field: Political satire; Journalism Risk: Harassment/Intimidation; Loss of position/profession (displaced) Language: Persian, English (fluent) Education: PhD (ABD) (Malaysia) Seeking: Opportunities beginning immediately to continue researching and writing in a safe environment

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DRCO-564 Field: Law; Human Rights Risk: Threat of arrest/violence (displaced) Language: Swahili, French (fluent), Lingala, English (intermediate) Education: LLM Seeking: Opportunities to continue his research, teaching, and/or graduate studies, beginning Summer 2015

Academic Freedom Media Review December 6 - 12, 2014 Compiled by Scholars at Risk

Educators have a duty to teach about China’s problems: Chinese newspaper Li Jing, South China Morning Post, 12/12 Teachers must inspire their students to work towards correcting society's ills, state media quoted a Zhejiang professor as saying after a party mouthpiece criticised educators for "smearing" the state. The attack on lecturers came last month in a report by the official Liaoning Daily. The paper had sent undercover reporters to classes in more than 20 universities across the country, it said. Some teachers had discussed the Communist Party's failures and promoted "Western" ideas, such as the separation of state powers, according to the report. Read more.

Chinese Court Frees Uyghur Linguist Following Appeal Eset Sulaiman, Radio Free Asia, 12/11 hinese authorities have freed a U.S.-educated Uyghur linguist who sought to set up schools to promote the ethnic minority language in the Xinjiang region after more than a year in prison, according to a close relative. Abduweli Ayup was ordered jailed 18 months and fined 80,000 yuan (U.S. $13,000) for “illegal fundraising” in August by the Tengritagh (in Chinese, Tianshan) district court in Xinjiang’s capital Urumqi after being detained for a year. Read more.

Academics push for intellectual freedom The Nation, 12/11 A group of 201 academics from universities across the country yesterday called on the Council of University Presidents of Thailand (CUPT) to ensure and protect intellectual freedom that they said was being threatened under the current military administration. The group submitted an open letter stating that students and university lecturers had witnessed unprecedented threats to their academic freedom even though the country was stepping into a reform process that needed freedom of expression in order to ensure its success. Read more.

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Students to pitch tents outside campus to protest disciplinary action against UM8 Melati A. Jalil and Nathalie Tay, Malaysian Insider, 12/10 Universiti Malaya (UM) student activists have launched "Occupy UM", issuing a call to all students to set up tent dwellings outside the campus gate in solidarity with the UM8 students who were punished yesterday for organising an illegal talk featuring Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Student leader Wan Nur Syamimi Wan Sajiri in a statement said all Malaysians were also invited to show their solidarity and support for academic freedom by joining them and bringing the Malaysian flag as a symbol. Read more.

Liu Xiaobo, Nobel-Winning Chinese Dissident, Is Said to Send Message From Prison Edward Wong and Ian Johnson, The New York Times, 12/10 A prominent Chinese writer living in Berlin said Wednesday that he had received a message from Liu Xiaobo, the Nobel Peace Prize winner who has been held by the Chinese authorities since 2008 and is serving a long prison sentence. The writer, Liao Yiwu, who has known Mr. Liu for decades, declined to elaborate on how he received the message or what form it arrived in. Read more.

Academics rue government interference B K Mishra, Times of India, 12/09 Academics from different universities across the country voiced their concern over the growing government interference in the day-to-day functioning of the universities which was eroding their autonomy. Participating in the deliberations on the second day of the three- day workshop on 'Teaching and research in liberal academic environment' organized by the National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA) in collaboration with Patna University at Patna College seminar hall on Tuesday, they observed that with more rules and regulations being framed, the performance of the universities is deteriorating considerably. Read more.

Calls For Release Of Jailed Students, Opposition Figures On Iran's Student Day Golnaz Esfandiari, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 12/08 Some students in Iran used Student Day, celebrated on December 7 with speeches and other events at universities, to call for the release of opposition figures and jailed students. Iranian semiofficial news agencies Mehr and Fars reported that a speech by President Hassan Rohani at Tehran's University of Medical Sciences was disrupted by students chanting in support of opposition figures. Read more.

China Jails Students of Outspoken Minority Scholar Associated Press, 12/08 Seven Chinese students of a prominent Muslim minority professor who was sentenced to life in prison for separatism have been jailed for three to eight years after being convicted on the same charge, a rights lawyer said Monday. Li Fangping, a defense lawyer for economics professor Ilham Tohti, said he was informed of the verdicts against the Uighur minority students by people close to the cases, but it was not clear when the decisions were announced. The students were tried in late November. Read more.

Academic Freedom Media Review December 6 - 12, 2014 Compiled by Scholars at Risk

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Liu Xiaobo, Nobel-Winning Chinese Dissident, Is Said to Send Message From Prison Edward Wong and Ian Johnson, The New York Times, 12/10 [70]

A prominent Chinese writer living in Berlin said Wednesday that he had received a message from Liu Xiaobo, the Nobel Peace Prize winner who has been held by the Chinese authorities since 2008 and is serving a long prison sentence. The writer, Liao Yiwu, who has known Mr. Liu for decades, declined to elaborate on how he received the message or what form it arrived in. Read more.

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When people ask me ‘Why Scholars at Risk?’, I have a lot to say. I say we helped over 250 threatened scholars last year, documented over 167 attacks on universities in 56 countries, and are leading new thinking on defending academic freedom. But mostly I mention the extraordinarily spirit and energy in our network, and how Scholars at Risk is at the center of a global movement for everyone’s right to think, question and share ideas.

Our new #free2think campaign is a great example. It started with students taking a SAR advocacy seminar. While learning about people being persecuted for their ideas, the students realized how easily we all take for granted the freedom to think what we like. To spread the word, they started taking “selfies” showing something they were grateful to be free to think about. They added the hashtag, and a campaign was born!

Of course, the #free2think campaign and all our work would not be possible without help from friends like you. Your $50, $100 or $500 donation today will help us to continue providing life- saving services for at-risk scholars, and life-defining opportunities for students and campuses. Please join us.

Together, we can keep making a difference,

Rob Quinn Executive Director

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Academic Freedom Media Review December 13 - 19, 2014 Compiled by Scholars at Risk

China tightens grip on Macau as dissent rises in gambling hub Farah Master and James Pomfret, Reuters, 12/18 By night, Ieong Man Teng was dealing baccarat to gamblers at the Wynn Macau casino. By day, he was mobilizing thousands of fellow dealers to protest on the street for better working conditions and higher pay. That made him one of the people on Beijing's watch list earlier this year in Macau, the world's biggest gambling hub. Read more.

Global-Education Groups Hail Restoration of Relations With Cuba Andy Thomason, Chronicle of Higher Education, 12/18 Two global-education associations are applauding President Obama’s announcement on Wednesday that the United States will restore relations with Cuba, ending a diplomatic freeze that lasted more than half a century. Read more.

China warms to Catholic university’s mission Chris Havergal, Times Higher Education, 12/18 As China opens up to the world, the relationship between the communist state and Catholicism remains a thorny one. Observers watching for signs of a thaw may take heart, therefore, from the activities of the University of Notre Dame, which places its faith traditions at the heart of its identity. In Beijing, the Indiana-based institution has a “global gateway”, an academic centre that hosts students for summer programmes and year-long exchanges, and is home to a new institute for Asian studies. Read more.

Japanese University Retains Ex-Journalist Facing Far Right’s Ire Martin Fackler, The New York Times, 12/17 A retired Japanese journalist who has been a prominent target of criticism by rightists seeking to rewrite Japan’s wartime history received a public show of support on Wednesday when his employer, a university, resisted pressure to cancel his teaching contract. Read more.

New Round of Protests Hits Algerian Universities

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Massinissa Benlakehal, Al-Fanar Media, 12/17 A growing number of students are joining protest movements that have cascaded across Algeria’s universities since the start of the academic year. Algeria’s universities have regularly been home to waves of unrest, among students, professors and even administrators since early 2000. The unrest, however, has grown stronger during the last four years, and comes amid broader societal discontent concerning a range of issues. Read more.

UI missed 'teachable moment' in response to art, some say Jeff Charis-Carlson, Iowa City Press-Citizen, 12/17 Several members of the University of Iowa community say the university administration missed a "teachable moment" in its initial responses to the display of a Ku Klux Klan effigy on the Pentracrest earlier this month. They are still waiting to see, however, whether UI's long-term response will find a balance between respecting freedom of speech and ensuring the safety and security of its students. Read more.

Police asked university for list of attendees at fracking debate Rob Evans, The Guardian, 12/15 Police asked a university to hand over a list of members of the public who were due to attend a public debate on its campus. Canterbury Christ Church University, which had invited experts to debate the merits of fracking in an open forum, refused to hand over the list, and the police request has drawn sharp criticism, with one of the panellists branding it deplorable. Read more.

Egypt Denies Entry to American Scholar Critical of Its Government David D. Kirkpatrick, The New York Times, 12/13 A prominent American scholar and ex-diplomat critical of the government of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has been barred from entering Egypt, in what appears to mark a new escalation of the government’s clampdown on dissent. Read more.

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Advocacy works! Scholars at Risk members and partners around the world have been advocating for the University of Texas PhD student and SAR Scholar-in-Prison Omid Kokabee since his arrest in 2011. Finally, the Iranian judiciary announced that Kokabee will be granted a retrial in 2015, which experts think could result in the overturning of his 10 year prison sentence. Thanks to everyone who has been a part of these efforts!

But Kokabee still needs our help, and there are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of other scholars and students like him facing prosecution and imprisonment. Scholars at Risk stands up for their right - for everyone's right - to think, question and share ideas, freely and safely. Help us do even more. Your $100 gift will help us to create and defend the space where everyone is #free2think.

They need you. We need you. Please make your gift today.

Thanks,

Rob Quinn Executive Director

P.S. Join our #free2think campaign and send a message to brave scholars who risk it all to pursue free inquiry. Just write down your #free2think message, snap a picture, and send it to us or post it on Twitter, Facebook, or other sites! View the images at www.scholarsatrisk.org/free2think.

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houghts turn to family during the holidays, and Scholars at Risk is no exception. Our SAR family has grown to hundreds of institutions and thousands of individuals in over 36 countries, and we hear a lot of good news from them this time of year. We wanted to share one of those stories from SAR scholar-alumnus Noel T.

When SAR first met Noel he was facing death threats due to his research in Rwanda. He and his family were forced to flee with nothing. He might have been lost. But faculty, staff and students in the SAR network helped him to start over. Ten years on, he wrote to share these kind words upon completing his PhD degree this year at a US university:

"It is unlikely I would have ventured into this intellectual journey without a long chain of ‘good Samaritans’ whose joint efforts saved me from the pit of despair when I was forced to flee my sweet home. I especially want to recognize the Scholars at Risk ... [for its] invaluable support and encouragements. With this humbling acknowledgment, I bear witness of what SAR family is all about."

This is what the SAR family is all about: Creating opportunities for threatened scholars, and fighting for everyone's right to think, question and share ideas. Noel's success was made possible by our network and friends like you. Your $100 gift today will help SAR provide life-saving and life-changing services to more scholars like Noel.

Please make a gift today.

We need you,

Clare Robinson Director, Protection Services

P.S. You can join the SAR family's #free2think campaign! Just write down your #free2think message, snap a picture, and send it to us or post it on Twitter, Facebook, or other sites! View the images at www.scholarsatrisk.org/free2think.

P.S. You can be a part of this positive energy: Just write down your #free2think message, snap a picture, and send it to us or post it on Twitter, Facebook, or other sites! View the images at www.scholarsatrisk.org/free2think.

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As we welcome the New Year, we are reminded of the many scholars who have been helped by our network to rebuild their lives and make a fresh start abroad -- scholars like Farai G.

Farai was a university lecturer, journalist and human rights activist in Zimbabwe for more than a decade. Falsely accused by the government and threatened with unjust imprisonment, she was forced to flee the country, leaving family and her career behind. It has not been easy, but thanks to faculty, staff and students in the SAR Network, Farai is back at her research and teaching again. Her New Year's wish is that other scholars will also get a chance at a fresh start through the SAR Network:

"To say that I am grateful to the Scholars At Risk Network would be an understatement. I know there are other Scholars out there crying for help, or even dying. My wish is that SAR find more resources to reach out and rescue them. My gratitude goes to the wonderful and selfless team at SAR. All this success is as a result of your dedication."

Help us make Farai's wish come true. SAR was able to help more than 250 scholars like her last year. With your support, we can help even more in 2015. Your $50 donation today will help create more opportunities for scholars like Farai to make a fresh start in 2015 and once again be #free2think.

With best wishes for the New Year,

Rob Quinn Executive Director

P.S. You can be a part of SAR's #free2think campaign: just write down your #free2think message, snap a picture, and send it to us or post it on Twitter, Facebook, or other sites! View the images at www.scholarsatrisk.org/free2think.

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Dear friends,

• Ethiopian scholar of development studies • Syrian scholar of theater • Ivorian scholar of religion • Congolese scholar of political science • Pakistani scholar of human rights, religion and political science • Eritrean scholar of molecular and cell biology

More information is available from the SAR network office at [email protected] and +1 212 998-2179. Thank you for your help.

Scholars of the Week ETHI-578

Field: Development Studies; Food Security Risk: Threat of arrest/violence; Harassment/Intimidation (displaced) Language: Amharic (native), English (fluent) Education: PhD (Netherlands) Seeking: Teaching and research opportunities in the United States beginning as soon as possible

SYRI-507

Field: Theater Risk: Threat to life/person (displaced) Language: Arabic, Bulgarian, French (intermediate), Russian, English (advanced) Education: MFA (Bulgaria) Seeking: Opportunities beginning Fall 2015 to continue her writing and teaching in the United States

IVOR-518

Field: Religion, History, Sociology, Francophone Studies Risk: Threat to life/person (displaced) Language: French (native), English (intermediate) Education: PhD (France) Seeking: Opportunities beginning immediately to continue teaching or research in a safe and stable environment

DRCO-570

Field: Political Science, Sociology, Conflict Resolution Risk: Threat to life/person Language: French, Kiswahili (fluent)

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Education: MA Seeking: Opportunities beginning immediately to continue his teaching or research in French-speaking Africa, Europe, or North America

PAKI-545

Field: Human Rights, Religion, Political Science Risk: Threat to life/person Language: Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Seraiki, Farsi, Arabic (fluent), English (advanced) Education: MA Seeking: Currently in the Pakistan, this scholar seeks opportunities beginning immediately to continue his research and writing in Europe.

ERIT-522

Field: Molecular and cell biology Risk: Threat to life/person (displaced) Language: Amharic, Blin, Tigrigna, Tigre, Geez, English (fluent) Education: MFA (Bulgaria) Seeking: This scholar seeks opportunities beginning Summer 2015 to continue his research and writing in Norway.

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ary 2015

Special Invitation: "Travel" with Scholars at Risk!

SAR is printing a new banner to use when promoting our work at conferences and expos. We want to include faces from the entire SAR family and we need you!

Write down your #free2think message, snap a picture (high resolution is best), and send it to us at [email protected]. We’ll include as many as we can.

(Or, you may post it on Twitter, Facebook, or other sites, and you can view all the images here.)

Travel with us, and show the world why we all need to be #free2think!

New Members

Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen joined Scholars at Risk as part of the UAF-Scholars at Risk Netherlands Network

University Hosts

McGill University, Canada, welcomed an Ethiopian scholar to campus for a six-month position, beginning in January 2015.

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Events

February 12-13, New York: The Center for Public Scholarship is pleased to present the 32nd Social Research conference, “The Fear of Art” at The New School in New York City. The conference aims to examine how art can threaten, terrify, and provoke the wrath of political, religious, and cultural regimes. Speakers—including a SAR scholar- artist—will examine the history of art censorship, the role of artists as collaborators and rebels, and the self-censorship of gallery and museum directors. The agenda also pairs artists and scholars to discuss activist art, the threat posed by art, the potency of art, artists at risk, and artists in exile. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, please see: http://www.newschool.edu/cps/fear-of-art/

February 18, United Kingdom: The Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA), SAR’s partner organization in the UK, will host a lecture at the University of Sheffield. CARA Director Stephen Wordsworth will outline CARA’s work to support persecuted and at- risk academics across the globe, while Ethel, a CARA beneficiary and current University of Sheffield PhD candidate, will talk about her experiences as an academic in Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe and the subsequent challenge of re-establishing her career in the UK. For more information, please see: http://www.cara1933.org/campaigns-and- events.asp

March 4, Canada: Carleton University and University of Ottawa will celebrate the joint launch of the Scholars at Risk program on their campuses with an event featuring talks by two SAR scholars. More information forthcoming.

SAR Academic Freeom Monitor

On Saturday, December 13, 2014, Michele Dunne, a senior associate at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and U.S. scholar who has been publicly critical of the Egyptian government, was barred from entering Egypt to attend a conference hosted by the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, where she was scheduled to appear as a panelist. To read more about this incident and for other incidents recently reported, please see http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/

Call for Submissions

SAR invites submissions to University Values: a global bulletin and blog on academic freedom, and the first of its kind around the world. The bulletin features articles, essays,

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opinion pieces and announcements promoting discussion and understanding of university values, including values of access, accountability, academic freedom, autonomy and social responsibility.

Submission Requirements Length: Articles of 500-700 words maximum. Topic: Academic freedom related issue of your choice. The article/blog post could, alternatively, contain news on important events, situations emerging in your region or specific countries or urgent appeals for scholars or universities in distress. Deadline: Articles/blogs are accepted on a rolling basis. Contact: Submit articles by email to [email protected]. Please enter “University Values Submission” in the subject line of your email.

Scholarship Opportunity

Gifts to SAR in December

Barbara McElroy Thomas Keenan Stephen Marks Hanna Gray Malachi Hacohen Shemeem Abbas Kenneth & Suzanne Craig Mike Sweeney Beth Greenwood Tara Crain Herman Winick Larry Kamerman Alan Becker J Paul Martin Karen-Lise S. Knudsen Brent Smith Irving Epstein Clare Robinson Susan Albertine Abigail Fradkin Liviu Andreescu Sarah Willcox Alison Mountz

Scholars at Risk Academic Freedom Media Review: 20 December 2014 - 9 January 2015

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Academic Freedom Media Review December 20, 2014 - January 9, 2015 Compiled by Scholars at Risk

Freedom to Discriminate? Colleen Flaherty, Inside Higher Ed, 01/09 The University of New Brunswick in Canada appears to be standing behind a professor accused by a colleague across the country of racism and bad scholarship. While academic freedom experts in the U.S. and Canada agree the university did the right thing, the offended professor says the questionable comments merit no special protection. Read more.

Swedish university severs ties with Confucius Institute Laura Zhou, South China Morning Post, 01/09 Sweden’s Stockholm University will end its partnership with the Chinese government-funded Confucius Institute, the school said. Educational institutions in the US and Canada made similar moves last year, citing concerns about foreign interference in academic freedom. Read more.

UM bans staff from organising political activities Malaysian Insider, 01/08 Amid growing student activism, Universiti Malaya (UM) has reportedly issued a circular prohibiting its staff from organising any political activities. It has yet to respond to checks by The Malaysian Insider on the matter. In the circular dated December 23, 2014, the country's oldest university said that it had noticed the active involvement of its students and staff in political activities of late. Read more.

Young Scientist’s Ten-Year Sentence Upheld despite Supreme Court’s Rejection of Legality of His Case International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, 01/08 An appeals court in Tehran has upheld the ten-year prison sentence of the young scientist Omid Kokabee without regard for the earlier opinion of the Supreme Court or the reasoning

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set forth in their ruling on the case. “Not only is this a blatant judicial error, it is an unprecedented dismissal of a Supreme Court ruling,” said Hadi Ghaemi, Executive Director of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. Read more.

Some students expelled over protests are reinstated Ashraf Khaled, University World News, 01/08 Egypt’s higher education authorities have started reviewing the cases of scores of students expelled from universities for alleged participation in violent anti-government protests. More than 50 students have already been reinstated. The review is aimed at defusing tensions in Egypt’s universities, which have experienced politically motivated unrest in recent years. Read more.

A Mixed Report on Salaita Controversy Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed, 01/02 The University of Illinois violated key principles of shared governance and academic freedom in its review -- and rejection -- of the hiring of Steven G. Salaita, a faculty panel has found. The faculty panel's report, released in December was particularly critical of the use of civility as a standard in making hiring decisions. But the panel also found that there may have been legitimate reasons to reject Salaita's appointment with tenure to the faculty of the American Indian studies department at the Urbana-Champaign campus. Read more.

Xi Jinping calls for ideological control on Chinese universities Robert Foyle Hunwick, The Telegraph, 12/30 China's president Xi Jinping has called for further ideological control over the country's universities, the official Xinhua agency has reported, urging "ideological guidance" including expanded Marxism studies. Read more.

The Draconian Legal Weapon Being Used to Silence Thai Dissent Charlie Campbell, Time, 12/31 Barefoot and shackled at the ankles, two Thai student activists shuffled into court this week to plead guilty to insulting the nation’s monarch by staging a play about an fictitious king. Patiwat Saraiyaem, 23, and Pornthip Munkong, 25, face up to 15 years in jail under Thailand’s lèse majesté laws, considered the world’s harshest.Read more.

Turkish court clears France-based professor in deadly 1998 explosion RFI, 12/20 An Istanbul criminal court on Friday acquitted Turkish dissident sociologist Pinar Selek, who lives in exile in France, over a 1998 explosion that killed seven people. Forty-three-year-old Selek, known for her critical studies of the Kurdish conflict and of vulnerable communities in Turkey, was detained on suspicion of bombing an Istanbul spice market popular with tourists two days after the blast. Read more.

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Travel with Scholars at Risk!

SAR is printing a new banner to use when promoting our work at conferences and expos. We want to include faces from the entire SAR family and we need you!

Write down your #free2think message, snap a picture (high resolution is best), and send it to us at [email protected]. We’ll include as many as we can.

(Or, you may post it on Twitter, Facebook, or other sites, and you can view all the images here.)

Travel with us, and show the world why we all need to be #free2think!

Together, we can keep making a difference,

Rob Quinn Executive Director

Scholars at Risk, c/o New York University, 194 Mercer St, 4th Fl, NY, NY 10012 USA You are subscribed as [email protected]. You may adjust your email preferences here.

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University Values

University Values is an electronic bulletin and blog featuring articles, essays, opinion pieces and announcements promoting discussion and understanding of university values, including values of access, accountability, academic freedom, autonomy and social responsibility.

The impetus for a bulletin covering these issues grew out of a series of workshops that the Scholars at Risk (SAR) network has facilitated around the world over the past several years. Time and again, workshop participants expressed the need for a greater sharing of information across national boundaries about urgent conditions as well as best practices to help strengthen respect for university values everywhere. With your help, the bulletin will continue to work to address this significant need.

Recent posts:

Some Puzzles of Academic Freedom (Parts 2 and 3)

Antoon de Baets University of Groningen, The Netherlands

In part 1 of this post, published in the University Values bulletin in July 2014, I argued that by not explicitly mentioning intellectual freedom, freedom of scientific research and academic freedom, the two international human rights covenants lack conceptual clarity. I also took issue with laus Beiter’s assertion that art. 13 ICESCR (the right to education) is sufficient as a conceptual base for academic freedom.(1) I argued that Beiter suffers from historical myopia. I will therefore now discuss the degree to which various human rights determine academic freedom and add a note on the particular issue of the right to academic travel. I will then consider constitutional protections for academic freedom as well as the diverging views of UNESCO and the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights regarding academic freedom.

Ousted Vice-Chancellor Returns to His Post

Dr. Albert Schram Vice-Chancellor/CEO, Papua New Guinea University of Technology (UNITECH)

I never thought in my career as an academic, I would be persecuted by a State for no other reason than doing my job. My case in Papua New Guinea (PNG) was not part of a systematic persecution of academics, but was as a result of my activities as Vice-Chancellor of the Papua New Guinea University of Technology starting in 2012. In this role, I am duty bound to uphold the provisions of our University Act, and carry out the government's policy of reducing the size of the University Council, and improving the quality of teaching by hiring academics with a PhD. In this role, I pointed out the need to set up an accounting system and appoint an internal auditor. External auditors had given an adverse opinion about the university’s financial practices since 2005, but Council had failed to hold management accountable to take measures in this respect.

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Academic Freedom Media Review January 10 - 16, 2015 Compiled by Scholars at Risk

US-Cuban opening paves way for deeper academic links Mary Beth Marklein, University World News, 01/16 The Obama administration was set to loosen restrictions on Friday regarding US travel to Cuba. This will open the door for more academic exchanges between the neighbouring countries and raise the possibility for more ambitious projects such as research partnerships and joint- or dual-degree programmes, international education experts say. Read more.

Press Freedom in Hong Kong Under Threat, Report Says Chris Buckley and Michael Forsythe, The New York Times, 01/16 Press freedom in Hong Kong, long an enclave of liberties in the shadow of mainland China, is increasingly threatened, with journalists assaulted, news organizations censoring stories and advertisers shunning publications that rile the authorities, a new report says. The report by the PEN American Center, a New York-based writers’ group, catalogs developments that it says amount to an alarming erosion of Hong Kong’s tradition of freewheeling news media, including self-censorship: journalists avoiding topics or skewing coverage at the behest of superiors. Read more.

Hong Kong student leaders report to police over democracy protests Reuters, 01/16 Four Hong Kong student leaders were released without charge on Friday after assisting police with an ongoing investigation into more than two months of pro-democracy protests that paralyzed parts of the Asia financial center. Dozens of protesters holding yellow umbrellas that have become a symbol of the city's democracy movement shouted, "I want universal suffrage" and "Support the students" before the group entered the police station. Read more.

Row between ‘forced exit’ scholar and NTU reignites John Morgan, Times Higher Education, 01/15 Cherian George used to be an academic at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University. The former journalist is a political liberal and a prominent critic of the Singapore government, and he has been publicly rebuked by the state in response. But during his time at NTU he rose to take charge of its journalism programme, the nation’s only such university programme and the biggest source of young journalists for the Singapore press. Read more.

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In Brussels, an Emergency Call for Higher Education Rasha Faek, Al-Fanar Media, 01/15 A few days before the holidays, experts from a wide variety of international organizations headed here to discuss ways to provide higher education in emergencies—especially the emergencies created by the sharp rise in the number of refugees around the world. That topic has been much discussed during the last year, with a U.N. agency reporting that the number of refugees globally has increased to 51.2 million people, the highest number since World War II. Read more.

‘Charlie Hebdo’ Massacre Prompts New Criticism of 2009 Episode at Yale Peter Schmidt, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 01/15 Last week’s terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo, the French satirical newspaper that had published images of the Muslim prophet Muhammad, is prompting renewed criticism of Yale University Press’s controversial decision to redact similar cartoons from a scholarly book published in 2009. Read more.

State secrets law could constrain researchers Eric Johnston, The Japan Times, 01/14 The spirit of Japan’s new state secrets law may officially be about protecting national security by restricting the release of information about defense and diplomacy, or keeping information needed to prevent terrorist attacks and “specified harmful activities” confidential. However, the new law, which took effect Dec. 10, is not just applicable to bureaucrats and major defense-related firms. Lawyers warn the letter of the law, and especially the required background checks on those handling state secrets, could impact a broad range of academic research as well. Read more.

Tajikistan: Human Rights Lawyer Imprisoned Human Rights Watch, 01/14 A prominent human rights lawyer in Tajikistan was sentenced on January 13, 2015, to nine years in prison following a politically motivated trial […]. The case against the lawyer, Shukhrat Kudratov, struck a blow to freedom of expression and the independence of the legal profession in Tajikistan. Read more.

Anti-terror bill a threat to academic freedom, MPs tell Theresa May Alan Travis, The Guardian, 01/11 Universities should be exempt from a new counter-terror duty that could seriously restrict academic freedom of speech, MPs and peers have told the home secretary, Theresa May. The warning from parliament’s joint human rights committee comes before the second reading on Tuesday in the House of Lords of May’s counter-terrorism and security bill, which includes powers that could require colleges to ban extremist speakers from campuses. Read more.

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Academic Freedom Media Review January 17 - 23, 2015 Compiled by Scholars at Risk

Mexico university campus shuttered over gang threats Alfredo Pena, Associated Press, 01/23 A university campus in the Mexican border city of Nuevo Laredo has been closed for more than a week due to threats and attempted extortion by gangsters. The Universidad Valle de Mexico campus in the city across from Laredo, Texas, shut down Jan. 15 and security personnel have been withdrawn, a spokeswoman said Friday. Read more.

What will 2015 Mean for Arab Universities? Wagdy Sawahel, Al-Fanar Media, 01/22 With the start of the New Year, Al-Fanar Media surveyed the opinions of some scholars who focus on Arab education about the past and the future.[…] Academic freedom has witnessed great deterioration. Conflicts in Libya and Egypt have negatively affected academic freedom. Students and professors are jailed or killed for voicing their opinion or even during the dangerous commute to universities. Read more.

Berkeley Plans to Build a Global Campus, 10 Miles From Home Madeline Will, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 01/22 The University of California at Berkeley plans to open a global campus, but it intends to do so without going very far from home. Under the plan, partner universities from around the world would set up shop at a new outpost just 10 miles from Berkeley’s main campus.[…] Berkeley officials argue that there’s a compelling reason to put the global campus on American ground: the chance to create a true safe harbor with protections for academic freedom, human rights, political activism, and intellectual property. Read more.

Ethiopia: Media Being Decimated Human Rights Watch, 01/22 The Ethiopian government’s systematic repression of independent media has created a bleak landscape for free expression ahead of the May 2015 general elections, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. In the past year, six privately owned publications closed after government harassment; at least 22 journalists, bloggers, and

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publishers were criminally charged, and more than 30 journalists fled the country in fear of being arrested under repressive laws. Read more.

Scientists protest detention of Palestinian physicist Michele Catanzaro, Nature, 01/21 Several organizations of scholars have issued letters protesting the detention of a Palestinian astrophysicist in the Israeli military's Ofer prison, in the West Bank. The scientist, Imad Ahmad Barghouthi, has been detained without charges since December. An appeal to the detention will be heard on 22 January. [Update: On 22 January, the Israeli military court set Barghouthi free. The physicist says he believes that the letters of support from international scientific organizations, which were presented to the judge by his lawyer, were instrumental in persuading the court to release him.] Read more.

China says its colleges must champion core socialist values Associated Press, 01/20 China’s leadership has issued guidelines requiring universities to strengthen ideological controls in classrooms and telling professors to champion Marxism, traditional culture and socialist core values. The orders come as President Xi Jinping tightens his grip on political power and cracks down on the encroachment of supposed Western values such as press freedom and civil society groups. Read more.

Nobel laureates write to KAUST over Saudi flogging case Jack Grove, Times Higher Education, 01/20 In the letter passed to The Independent, the Nobel laureates call on their Saudi peers to be “heard arguing for the freedom to dissent” by standing up for Mr Badawi, whose case has highlighted the restrictions on freedom speech in the oil-rich state. Mr Badawi was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes, which will be administered at a rate of 50 a week, in May 2014 for using his liberal blog to criticise Saudi Arabia’s clerics. Read more.

News Assistants: The Unsung Heroes of Journalism in China Matt Schiavenza, The Atlantic, 01/19 For her last two years in China, Angela Kockritz, a Beijing-based reporter for the German newspaper Die Zeit, worked closely with a 40-year-old Chinese news assistant named Zhang Miao. When pro-democracy protests erupted in Hong Kong last September, Kockritz and Zhang traveled to the territory to cover the story. As the two walked among the demonstrators and spoke to student leaders, Zhang got swept up in the excitement. She pinned a yellow ribbon—a symbol of the movement—to her clothes and uploaded photographs of herself to WeChat, a social network popular in China. Read more.

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Dear friends,

• Iranian scholar of political satire and journalism • Iranian scholar of environmental science • Cameroonian scholar of political philosophy and human rights • Syrian scholar of marketing and tourism • Syrian scholar of analytical chemistry • Afghan scholar of philosophy and Islamic theology

More information is available from the SAR network office at [email protected] and +1 212 998-2179. Thank you for your help.

Scholars of the Week IRAN-656 Field: Political satire; Journalism Risk: Harassment/Intimidation; Loss of position/profession (displaced) Language: Persian, English (fluent) Education: PhD (ABD) (Malaysia) Seeking: Opportunities beginning immediately to continue researching and writing in a safe environment IRAN-711 Field: Environmental Science, Environmental Policy Risk: Intimidation/Threat of re-arrest (displaced) Language: Farsi, English (fluent), Arabic (advanced) Education: MSc (Netherlands) Seeking: Research and/or post-graduate study opportunities in the Netherlands beginning immediately CAME-537 Field: Political philosophy; Human rights Risk: Harassment/Intimidation (displaced) Language: French, English (fluent) Education: PhD Seeking: Opportunities beginning Summer 2015 to continue his teaching and research SYRI-528 Field: Marketing; Management; Tourism Risk: Threat of arrest/violence Language: English, Arabic (fluent) Education: MBA (UK) Seeking: PhD study, research, and/or teaching opportunities beginning immediately

SYRI-572 Field: Analytical Chemistry Risk: Threat to life/person (displaced) Language: Arabic, French (fluent), English (advanced) Education: PhD (France) Seeking: Research, teaching and/or post-graduate study opportunities in Canada beginning immediately

AFGH-518 Field: Philosophy; Islamic Theology Risk: Threat to life/person with academic trigger; threat of arrest/violence (displaced) Language: Dari (native); English (fluent) Education: PhD (Iran) Seeking: Teaching and/or research positions in the United States beginning as soon as possible

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Dear friends,

More information is available from the SAR network office at [email protected] and +1 212 998-2179. Thank you for your help.

Scholars of the Week

IRAN-656

Field: Political satire; Journalism Risk: Harassment/Intimidation; Loss of position/profession (displaced) Language: Persian, English (fluent) Education: PhD (ABD) (Malaysia)

This scholar is an experienced and widely published political satirist. He holds an MA in Philosophy from an Iranian university and is currently completing his PhD on political satire’s role in press freedom at a university in Malaysia. He has covered Middle Eastern political satire for Arabic news outlets in his home country and was a frequent contributor to online news outlets, publishing hundreds of articles, essays and cartoons. The scholar has published several popular satirical novels, and has also written several novels for which he was not granted a printing license. Recently the recipient of an award recognizing his demonstrated research excellence and promise in the field of Humor Studies, his current research interests include contemporary Middle Eastern satire and satirists, English satire of the 18th century, and 19th century Iranian satire. He seeks opportunities beginning immediately to continue his research and writing in any safe environment.

IRAN-711

Field: Environmental Science, Environmental Policy Risk: Intimidation/Threat of re-arrest (displaced) Language: Farsi, English (fluent), Arabic (advanced) Education: MSc (Netherlands)

This scholar holds an MSc in environmental science from a university in the Netherlands, along with a BSc in environmental engineering and an associate degree in environmental technology from universities in Iran. This scholar's expertise lies in environmental policy, and her MSc thesis addressed policy solutions to the problem of marine litter in the Caspian Sea. This scholar has undergone training on geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing technology, and air quality sampling techniques. She spent six years working [92]

as an environmental expert in the private sector in Iran, conducting safety audits and environmental impact assessments, analyzing waste management strategies, and undertaking multiple GIS mapping projects. A promising environmental researcher, she recently conducted a research project on improving the environmental performance of six European cities during an internship at a research institute in the Netherlands. Currently in the Netherlands, this scholar seeks research and/or post-graduate study opportunities in the Netherlands beginning immediately.

CAME-537

Field: Political philosophy; Human rights Risk: Harassment/Intimidation (displaced) Language: French, English (fluent) Education: PhD

This scholar is a professor of political philosophy and a human rights advocate who holds a PhD from a university in Cameroon and has also earned several certificates in human rights related specialties. He has experience lecturing in political philosophy at a university in Cameroon, and has published articles on democracy and human rights in international journals, in addition to writing two books. A committed human rights advocate, this scholar is the president of a nongovernmental human rights organization that works to promote and protect human rights in Cameroon, and is also a member of an initiative that promotes collaboration among advocates for democratic values. This scholar seeks opportunities beginning Summer 2015 to continue his work in safety.

SYRI-528

Field: Marketing; Management; Tourism Risk: Threat of arrest/violence Language: English, Arabic (fluent) Education: MBA (UK)

This scholar has a wide range of experience in Syrian higher education, teaching business related courses for several years. He holds an MBA from a university in the UK, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing Management from a Syrian university. He is a very engaged academic, teaching a wide range of business, communications, and finance classes at several Syrian higher education institutions, lecturing on: Tourism Management, Social Marketing, Organisations and Behaviours, Corporate Social Responsibility, Human Resources and Leadership, and also prepared and delivered lectures for Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) modules. This scholar seeks PhD study or research and teaching opportunities beginning immediately.

SYRI-572

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Field: Analytical Chemistry Risk: Threat to life/person (displaced) Language: Arabic, French (fluent), English (advanced) Education: PhD (France)

The scholar holds a PhD in analytical chemistry and a Master’s degree in analytical research and development from a university in France. This scholar's expertise lies in high performance liquid chromatography and fluorescence spectroscopy, but she is also knowledgeable in techniques such as quasi- elastic light scattering and differential scanning calorimetry. The scholar previously served as an assistant professor at a Syrian university where she lectured in analytical chemistry topics such as separation methods, chromatographic techniques, sampling techniques and sample preparation. Her research has been published in the Journal of Luminescence, the Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry and Molecules. Currently in Canada, where she tutors students in science on a volunteer basis, this scholar seeks research, teaching and/or post-graduate study opportunities in Canada beginning immediately.

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27 103 Total # of incidents reported 6 45 Killings/violence/disappearances 8 26 Wrongful imprisonment 8 16 Wrongful prosecution 3 13 Retaliatory discharge/loss of position 1 4 Travel restrictions 9 21 Other Note: Rows do not equal "Total" because each incident may involve more than one type of conduct. Key developments:

Scholars at Risk notes with particular concern the reported violent threats against Mexican higher education campuses, including the disappearance and killing of 43 students from the Raúl Isidro Burgos Rural Teachers' College of Ayotzinapa; mass arrests and military prosecution of students in Egypt; prosecutions for scholarly expression in China, Malaysia, Thailand and Venezuela; bomb threats or other threats of violence in Japan and the United States; and military attacks and occupation of universities in Yemen. Priority incidents: Country/Territory: BANGLADESH Type(s): Killings, Violence, Disappearances Institution: Rajshahi University Date of incident: November 15, 2014 Date of report: November 18, 2014 Description: On November 15, 2014, Shafiul Islam, a professor of sociology at Rajshahi University in Bangladesh, was attacked while on his route home by a group of individuals wielding blunt objects. He was rushed to the hospital, where he died of his injuries. As of this report, police have reportedly arrested twenty suspects in connection with the case. A group calling itself Ansar al Islam Bangladesh-2 took responsibility for the killing on its Facebook page, alleging that Professor Islam was an “apostate.” According to the group, Professor Islam was murdered in retaliation for his role in a campus dispute four years earlier, regarding the banning of face veils from classrooms and examination halls. Scholars at Risk is concerned about the apparently targeted killing of a professor. In addition to the harm to the

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immediate victim, such incidents have a chilling effect on academic freedom and freedom of expression in the region. State authorities have a responsibility to ensure the security of academic communities, to prevent future attacks, and to hold perpetrators of violent attacks accountable.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-11-15-rajshahi-university Country/Territory: CHINA Type(s): Imprisonment/Prosecution Institution: Central Minzu University Date of incident: September 22, 2014 Date of report: September 25, 2014 Description: On September 22, 2014, Ilham Tohti, an economics professor and advocate for the rights of the Chinese Uighur minority, was sentenced to life in prison after a criminal court in the regional capital of Urumqi found him guilty of charges related to separatism. Professor Tohti had been in custody since the afternoon of January 15, 2014, when Chinese police raided his family home, seized computers, cell phones, passports and student essays, and arrested him (as well as seven of his students who, as of this report, have yet to be tried). According to reports, he was held incommunicado until late June, and thereafter continues to be denied regular access to family. On July 30, 2014, Professor Tohti was formally charged with separatism, charges that reportedly stem from his teachings at the university and writings published on his former website, Uighur Online. On September 16 and 17, 2014, Professor Tohti underwent a two-day trial in the Urumqi Intermediate People’s Court, which was closed to the public. Professor Tohti's lawyers have complained that they were denied access to evidence in advance of trial and were not allowed to call defense witnesses. Evidence presented by prosecutors reportedly included Professor Tohti's teaching materials, as well as material taken from the Uighur Online website. Professor Tohti reportedly maintained his innocence throughout trial, rejecting the charge of separatism, and insisting that his efforts had been to preserve ethnic unity, and to promote human rights, the rule of law, and autonomy for the Xinjiang region (home to most of China's Uighur population). Following trial, the court found Professor Tohti guilty of advocating independence for the region of Xinjiang “disguised as high-level autonomy." In addition, Professor Tohti's lawyer announced that the court had found Professor Tohti guilty of attacking government policies related to family planning and ethnic and religious issues; expressing support for terrorists; and "internationalizing" the issue of Uighur rights by speaking to foreign journalists. In addition to his life sentence, the court ordered that all of Professor Tohti’s assets be confiscated. Scholars at Risk is concerned about the detention and prosecution of a professor, apparently as a result of nonviolent scholarly and expressive activity – conduct which is expressly protected under international human rights instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. State officials have a responsibility not to interfere with scholars’ right to expressive activity, so long as that activity is undertaken peacefully and responsibly. Imprisonment and prosecution aimed at limiting such expressive activity undermine academic freedom and democratic society generally. State officials have an obligation to comply with internationally recognized standards of due process, fair trial, free expression and freedom of association. Update: On Friday, November 21, 2014, a Chinese appellate court rejected Professor Tohti's appeal, upholding his life sentence. According to reports, the hearing on Professor Tohti's appeal -- which took place in the detention center where he is incarcerated -- was called on short notice, and neither of Professor Tohti's lawyers were able to attend. This is an update to earlier reports. To view, please click here and here

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-09-22-central-university-nationalities Country/Territory: CHINA Type(s): Imprisonment/Prosecution Institution: Central Minzu University Date of incident: December 8, 2014 Date of report: December 12, 2014 Description: On December 8, 2014, sources reported that a Chinese criminal court had sentenced seven students of Professor Ilham Tohti to three to eight years in prison, after they had been found guilty of separatism. Professor Tohti, an economics professor and advocate for the rights of the Chinese Uighur minority, received a life sentence in late November 2014, also on separatism charges. Professor Tohti’s students were arrested in January 2014, along with Professor Tohti. Following their arrest, the students were reportedly held incommunicado for roughly eight months. The students were first heard from publicly after three of them reportedly recorded statements, taken in the jail where they were detained, incriminating Professor Tohti, which were played by the prosecution during Professor Tohti’s two day trial on September 16-17. The statements were broadcast on national television on September 25. In the statements, the students claimed that, through his now defunct website Uighur Online, Professor Tohti had sought to stir ethnic tensions and build anti- government sentiment, and that he had threatened one student with reprisals if the student did not continue doing design work for the website. Human rights groups have expressed concern that the students’ statements were the product of coercion. The seven students were tried in late November 2014, but reports are unclear as to [96]

when the verdict was formally announced, or when the court actually imposed sentences on the students. Reports further indicate that the three students who testified against Professor Tohti received shorter sentences. Scholars at Risk is concerned about the detention and prosecution of students, apparently as a result of nonviolent expression and association– conduct which is expressly protected under international human rights instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. State officials have a responsibility not to interfere with students’ rights to freedom of expression and association, so long as such rights are exercised peacefully and responsibly. Imprisonment and prosecution aimed at limiting expression and association – particularly when they target the relationship of a professor and his or her students – undermine academic freedom and democratic society generally. State officials have an obligation to comply with internationally recognized standards of due process, fair trial, free expression and freedom of association.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-12-08-central-minzu-university Country/Territory: EGYPT Type(s): Imprisonment Institution: Cairo University, Al-Azhar University, Alexandria University, Mansoura University, Damietta University, Helwan University Date of incident: October 11, 2014 Date of report: October 31, 2014 Description: In the days immediately following the start of the Egyptian school year on October 11, 2014, Egyptian authorities reportedly arrested at least 110 students from universities around the country. Many of these students were reportedly seized from their homes in pre-dawn raids, and were placed in detention for 15 days for investigation. According to reports, the majority of the students had been involved in on-campus protests prior to the start of the school year, challenging the rule of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, and demanding academic freedom and the release of other detained students. Scholars at Risk is concerned about arbitrary arrest and detention of students in retaliation for their peaceful exercise of the right to free expression and association – conduct which is expressly protected under international human rights instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. State authorities have a responsibility not to interfere with the exercise of such rights, so long as they are undertaken peacefully and responsibly. In addition to the harm to the immediate victims, state actions limiting the rights to free expression or association have a chilling effect on academic freedom and university autonomy, and undermine democratic society generally.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-10-11-cairo-university-al-azhar-university- alexandria-university-mansoura-university Country/Territory: EGYPT Type(s): Travel Restrictions Institution: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Date of incident: December 13, 2014 Date of report: December 15, 2014 Description: On Saturday, December 13, 2014, Michele Dunne, a senior associate at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and U.S. scholar who has been publicly critical of the Egyptian government, was barred from entering Egypt to attend a conference hosted by the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, where she was scheduled to appear as a panelist. According to Dr. Dunne, shortly after arriving at Cairo Airport on the evening of Friday, December 12, she was stopped and taken into custody by Egyptian security personnel. As Dr. Dunne reported, when she asked why she had been detained, one security official responded, “No reason, but, Madame, you cannot access Egypt anymore.” She remained in custody for roughly six hours before she was put on a plane bound for Frankfurt, Germany. A spokesman for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry stated that Dr. Dunne had been denied entry not because of her views, but because she had attempted to enter the country on a tourist visa, which he said was improper given that she was entering to attend an academic conference. However, tourist visas are routinely used by scholars and journalists to enter Egypt to attend meetings and conduct research. Indeed, Dr. Dunne reports that her own passport reflects 15 previous occasions when she was permitted to enter Egypt on a tourist visa for purposes of conducting academic work or attending a conference. Scholars at Risk is concerned about the denial of entry to a scholar in apparent retaliation for nonviolent expressive activity which is protected under international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Egypt is a signatory. While States have the authority to regulate entry into their territories, denying entry based on the content of nonviolent professional expression would violate academic freedom and State obligations under international law.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-12-13-carnegie-endowment-international-peace Country/Territory: EGYPT Type(s): Loss of Position Institution: Al-Azhar University [97]

Date of incident: December 28, 2014 Date of report: January 5, 2015 Description: In orders issued on December 17 and 28, 2014, Al-Azhar University reportedly expelled 122 students, alleging they had engaged in riots, illegal protests and violence. As of this report, specific factual allegations against the expelled students were unavailable. The expulsions occurred against the backdrop of increasing efforts throughout Egypt to curb political dissent on campus, with universities instituting policies designed to prevent student protests. Al-Azhar University, for example, now reportedly requires students residing in its residence halls to sign an agreement not to engage in protest or other political activities, or else risk expulsion. In addition, in October 2014, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi issued a decree allowing the expulsion of staff and students, including in cases involving "acts obstructing the educational process." Scholars at Risk is concerned about the suspension or expulsion of students in apparent retaliation for the peaceful exercise of the right of free expression and association – conduct which is expressly protected under international human rights instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. State and university authorities have a responsibility not to interfere with such rights, so long as that activity is undertaken peacefully and responsibly. At the same time, academic freedom and free expression do not extend to violence or the destruction of property, and on-campus expression must be undertaken in a manner that is consistent with university values including social responsibility. While state and university authorities have a legitimate interest in maintaining order and protecting property, they must do so in ways that are proportional to the situation, respecting the rights to peaceful expression, association and due process.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-12-28-al-azhar-university Country/Territory: EGYPT Type(s): Imprisonment/Prosecution/Other Institution: Al-Azhar University; Zagazig University Date of incident: December 29, 2014 Date of report: January 5, 2015 Description: As of December 29, 2014, 23 students – 15 from Zagazig University and eight from Al-Azhar University – reportedly face military prosecution in connection with their participation in on-campus protests, after their cases were transferred out of the jurisdiction of the civilian criminal courts. On December 3, 2014, following a protest, three Al-Azhar students were taken into custody and reportedly detained and subject to 15 days of interrogation, before being charged with violating Egypt’s protest law, obstructing roads and engaging in violent activity. The cases of five other Al-Azhar students were referred to a military tribunal in November, after the students were reportedly accused of torching a university office. The Zagazig University students had reportedly been involved in a separate protest on December 28, in which demonstrators allegedly marched in front of a university hospital and police building, blocked a road and launched fireworks. They were charged with rioting, inciting violence, intimidating citizens, and protesting without permission, as well as injuring four police officers in the course of the protest. The case was referred to a military court the next day. The referrals follow an October 2014 decree, Law 136 of 2014, in which Egypt’s president, Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, placed all “public and vital facilities” under the jurisdiction of the military, thus requiring that any crimes alleged to have been committed at such venues to be referred to military courts. Egyptian military courts are presided over by military officers – not civilian judicial officials – and normally are not subject to the same requirements with respect to due process and independence as civilian courts. Since the decree, more than 700 other civilians have reportedly been referred to military prosecutors. Scholars at Risk is concerned about the detention and military prosecution of students in apparent retaliation for nonviolent expression and association – conduct which is expressly protected under international human rights instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. State officials have a responsibility not to interfere with students’ rights to freedom of expression and association, so long as such rights are exercised peacefully and responsibly. Imprisonment and prosecution aimed at limiting expression and association undermine academic freedom and democratic society generally. State officials have an obligation to comply with internationally recognized standards of due process, fair trial, free expression and freedom of association.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2015-12-29-al-azhar-university-zagazig-university Country/Territory: JAPAN Type(s): Other Institution: Gakuen University; Tezukayama Gakuin University in Osaka Date of incident: October 6, 2014 Date of report: November 1, 2014 Description: In September and October 2014, unknown persons reportedly made violent threats against Japanese universities, including bomb threats and threats of harm to university professors and members of their families. The perpetrators were demanding that the dismissal of certain professors over work they had done prior to their academic appointments as journalists for the newspaper Asahi Shimbum. The threats follow the August 2014 admission by the newspaper that a series of articles it published in the 1980s and 90s were false.

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The articles were based on the accounts of a former Japanese soldier, who claimed that, during World War II, he had witnessed women from Jeju Island, South Korea being abducted and forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military. The soldier’s accounts were eventually discredited. The paper's retraction did not question the existence of the practice at that time, a history which has been widely documented elsewhere. The newspaper’s admission led to a public outcry in Japan, including statements by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe accusing Asahi Shimbum of damaging Japan’s reputation, as well as threats against several former Asahi Shimbum journalists who are now academics. These included an incident on September 13, 2014, when Tezukayama Gakuin University in Osaka reportedly received threats that bombs would be planted on campus if a professor responsible for one of the articles, whose name was withheld from the press, was not fired. The professor resigned on the same day. Similarly, Gakuen University in Sapporo reportedly received emails, faxes, phone calls, and one bomb threat, demanding the ouster of Takashi Uemura, a lecturer in the field of international exchange who had been one of the journalists responsible for the Asahi Shimbum articles. Unknown perpetrators reportedly made direct threats against both Professor Uemura and his children, and posted his children’s names and photographs online. On October 6, 2014, Gakuen University announced that it was postponing a decision whether to rehire Professor Uemura for the following year. Scholars at Risk is concerned about threats of violence against university facilities and personnel, which undermine security and have a chilling effect on academic freedom and institutional autonomy. This is especially true when the threats demand the forcible dismissal of academics from their posts. While persons offended by alleged misconduct have a right to express their objections, including objecting to an academic's continued employment, such objections must be raised without resort to violence, coercion or intimidation. State and university officials have an obligation to ensure the security of university facilities and personnel, including protecting academic personnel from threats or intimidation by persons outside the university community. When investigating any allegations of misconduct, university officials must do so in a manner consistent with established procedures and core higher education values, including academic freedom and free expression.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-10-06-gakuen-university-tezukayama-gakuin- university-osaka Country/Territory: MALAYSIA Type(s): Prosecution Institution: University of Malaya Date of incident: September 2, 2014 Date of report: September 11, 2014 Description: On September 2, 2014, Dr. Azmi Sharom, a law lecturer at the University of Malaya, was charged in Kuala Lumpur Session Court with sedition, after commenting publicly on a constitutional crisis currently taking place in the Malaysian State of Selangor. In an interview, Professor Azmi compared the current crisis to a situation in the Malaysian State of Perak in 2009, stating, “[y]ou don’t want a repeat of that, where a secret meeting took place” and “I think what happened in Perak was legally wrong. The best thing to do is do it as legally and transparently as possible." Professor Azmi pleaded not guilty to the charge against him and was released on bail pending trial. He spoke publicly about the prosecution, stating, "I was shocked to learn that I am being charged under the Sedition Act because of comments I made on the Perak crisis of 2009. My statements were based on established case law and democratic principles. They were given in my capacity as a law lecturer of 24 years standing." Under Malaysian law, sedition is defined as speech that "would bring into hatred or contempt or to excite disaffection against" the government. A sedition conviction carries a potential jail term of three years, or RM5,000 (about US $1500), or both. Scholars at Risk is concerned about the prosecution of a scholar in retaliation for nonviolent, expressive activity related to his professional expertise and protected by internationally recognized human rights standards. State authorities have a responsibility not to interfere with scholars’ expressive activity, so long as that activity is undertaken peacefully and responsibly. Prosecution aimed at limiting such expressive activity undermines academic freedom and democratic society generally.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-09-02-university-malaya Country/Territory: MALAYSIA Type(s): Prosecution Institution: University of Selangor Date of incident: October 1, 2014 Date of report: November 1, 2014 Description: Dr. Abdul Aziz Bari, a law professor and constitutional scholar at the University of Selangor, reportedly faces potential sedition charges under Section 4(1)(a) of Malaysia’s Sedition Act of 1948, in connection with statements he made in two published articles relating to constitutional limitations on the powers of the Sultan of the Malaysian State of Selangor. Dr. Aziz reportedly appeared before police authorities on October 1, 2014, in connection with the investigation, and invoked his right under Malaysian law, to remain

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silent. As of this report, the investigation remains ongoing. Scholars at Risk is concerned about the investigation and potential prosecution of a scholar in retaliation for nonviolent, expressive activity related to his professional expertise and protected by internationally recognized human rights standards. State authorities have a responsibility not to interfere with scholars’ expressive activity, so long as that activity is undertaken peacefully and responsibly. Prosecution aimed at limiting such expressive activity undermines academic freedom and democratic society generally.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-10-01-university-selangor Country/Territory: MALAYSIA Type(s): Loss of Position Institution: University of Malaya Date of incident: December 9, 2014 Date of report: December 31, 2014 Description: On December 9, 2014, eight students from the University of Malaya faced disciplinary proceedings for their involvement with a rally on campus for Malaysian opposition leader Dato Sri Anwar Ibrahim on October 27, 2014. The students had scheduled the rally despite the objections of the university administration. The university eventually declared the rally illegal, and ordered the campus's gates locked. Ibrahim was nevertheless able to enter campus, and addressed a large group of students who had attended, despite the university's actions. The university subsequently commenced disciplinary proceedings against the eight students, known as the UM 8, who had organized the event. At the December 9, 2014 proceeding, student council president Fahmi Zainol was suspended for two semesters and was fined RM600 (about US $150), while another student leader, Safwan Shamsuddin, was suspended for one semester and fined RM300. Four more student organizers received fines of about RM150 each and were given warnings. Scholars at Risk is concerned about disciplinary action, including suspension, of students in apparent retaliation for the peaceful exercise of the right of free expression, and about the cancellation of an on-campus event based on academic or political content. State and university authorities have a responsibility not to interfere with academic freedom or expressive activity, so long as that activity is undertaken peacefully and responsibly. Suspension aimed at limiting such expressive activity harm academic freedom and related higher education values including autonomy and social responsibility.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-12-09-university-malaya Country/Territory: MEXICO Type(s): Other Institution: Universidad Valle De Mexico Date of incident: September 23, 2014 Date of report: October 10, 2014 Description: On September 23, 2014, three armed men broke into the campus of the Universidad Valle de México in the city of Reynosa, where they reportedly confronted the university’s director and demanded “fees” or “quotas” from the university, threatening violence if the university failed to comply. The men were reportedly believed to be members of the Gulf Cartel. The next day, in response to the threat, the director made the decision to suspend classes and other operations for three days, stating that the suspension was to “protect the physical integrity of the campus community.” The suspension was later extended to six days. Federal, state and municipal government entities indicated their commitment to providing the security necessary to reopen the university, and military forces were stationed at the campus entrances to guard it. Federal police detained three men in connection with the incident. Scholars at Risk is concerned about threats of physical violence against university staff, faculty and students. Such threats not only impact the immediate victims, but undermine academic freedom, institutional autonomy and the ability of higher education communities to serve their educational, research and social functions, harming all members of these communities and society generally.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-09-23-universidad-valle-de-mexico Country/Territory: MEXICO Type(s): Killings, Violence, Disappearances Institution: Raúl Isidro Burgos Rural Teachers' College of Ayotzinapa Date of incident: September 26, 2014 Date of report: October 31, 2014 Description: On September 26, 2014, 43 students at the Raúl Isidro Burgos Rural Teachers' College of Ayotzinapa were reportedly kidnapped following a confrontation with municipal police, as they returned to campus from the nearby city of Iguala. At least 28 bodies, believed to be the remains of kidnapped students, were subsequently discovered in a mass grave near where the confrontation occurred. More than 100 students had reportedly commandeered three university buses to travel from their campus to the nearby city of Iguala, where they protested a lack of funding for their school, and attempted to solicit donations for it. As the students were returning to campus, municipal police reportedly pulled over and boarded the buses, and opened [100]

fire, killing three of the students. Although the details remain unclear, witnesses have alleged that police subsequently took a number of the students into custody, and handed them over to a local gang known as Guerreros Unidos, members of whom are believed to have infiltrated the local police force. Media reports suggest that the gang members marched the students up a hill, where they killed them, burned and buried several of their bodies, while throwing others’ remains into a nearby river. As of this report, DNA tests have confirmed the identity of one of the students among the dead. While the investigation of the case remains ongoing as of this report, Mexican authorities have arrested Iguala’s mayor, Jose Luis Abarca, and his wife, Maria de los Angeles Pineda, on suspicion that Abarca was the “mastermind” behind the abduction. Upon learning of the students’ planned protest in Iguala, Abarca allegedly ordered the local police chief to stop it. As of this report, authorities have detained 90 people, including 58 police, in connection with the investigation of the mass killing. Scholars at Risk is gravely concerned about the disappearance and apparent mass killing of students. In addition to the harm to the immediate victims and their families, such incidents have a chilling effect on academic freedom and institutional autonomy. State and local officials have a responsibility to ensure the security of higher education communities, to prevent future attacks, and to hold perpetrators accountable.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-09-26-ra%C3%BAl-isidro-burgos-rural-teachers- college-ayotzinapa Country/Territory: NIGERIA Type(s): Killings, Violence, Disappearances Institution: Federal College of Education in Kano Date of incident: September 17, 2014 Date of report: October 17, 2014 Description: On September 17, 2014 an armed group attacked a teacher training college in Nigeria, killing at least fifteen people and injuring thirty-four. Two suicide bombers detonated their devices in a full lecture hall, while other attackers threw explosives and fired at those who attempted to escape.Officials have attributed this attack to Nigerian separatist group Boko Haram, although the group has not publically taken responsibility. Scholars at Risk is concerned about violent attacks on higher education institutions. Such attacks threaten the lives and well-being of members of higher education communities; undermine higher education functions and values, including autonomy and academic freedom; and impair the ability of higher education to serve its public mission. State authorities have a responsibility to ensure the security of academic communities, to prevent future attacks, and to hold perpetrators of violent attacks accountable.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-09-17-federal-college-education-kano Country/Territory: NIGERIA Type(s): Killings, Violence, Disappearances Institution: Federal College of Education, Katongora Date of incident: November 12, 2014 Date of report: November 14, 2014 Description: On November 12, 2014, a suicide bomber blew herself up just outside a library on the campus of the Federal College of Education in Katongora, Nigeria. As of this report, the number of casualties remains unclear, although most recent reports from local police indicate that two people, in addition to the bomber, died as a result of the blast. Scholars at Risk is concerned about targeted attacks on educational institutions and students. In addition to the harm to the immediate victims, such incidents have a chilling effect on academic freedom and institutional autonomy. State officials have a responsibility to ensure the security of higher education communities, to prevent future attacks, and to hold perpetrators accountable.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-11-12-federal-college-education-katongora Country/Territory: PAKISTAN Type(s): Killings, Violence, Disappearances/Other Institution: University of Karachi Date of incident: September 18, 2014 Date of report: September 19, 2014 Description: On September 18, 2014, Muhammad Shakil Auj, the dean of Islamic studies at the University of Karachi, was shot and killed by unidentified gunmen. Dr. Auj, a progressive scholar, regularly and publicly expressed his views about religious issues. After giving a speech in the United States in 2012, Dr. Auj reportedly began receiving death threats and accusations of blasphemy. He reported to local police that four of his fellow professors at the University of Karachi had sent him threatening text messages, leading to their arrests. (The professors were later released on bail, but the charges against them remain pending.) In addition, a fatwa was reportedly issued against Dr. Auj by a local seminary declaring him "worthy of murder." On September 18, Dr. Auj was in a car en route to a reception to be given in his honor when he was approached [101]

by gunmen on a motorbike. The gunmen fired into the car, killing Dr. Auj instantly and wounding a student who was traveling with him. The student was later treated at the hospital and released. Scholars at Risk is concerned about apparently targeted violence against an academic in retaliation for his academic expression, as well as about threats that preceded such violence, including alleged threats emanating from within the higher education community itself. In addition to the harm to the immediate victims, such incidents have a chilling effect on academic freedom and autonomy. State authorities have a responsibility to ensure the security of academic communities, to prevent future attacks, and to hold perpetrators of violent attacks accountable. Members of higher education communities have a responsibly to respect academic freedom of colleagues and to refrain from conduct which threatens or otherwise undermines university values.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-09-18-university-karachi Country/Territory: PAKISTAN Type(s): Loss of Position Institution: International Islamic University Islamabad Date of incident: October 26, 2014 Date of report: November 14, 2014 Description: On October 26, 2014, The International Islamic University Islamabad suspended three staff members for their involvement in a Model United Nations event at the school that featured an Israeli culture information booth. The Model United Nations event, which was sanctioned by the university, included booths featuring the religions and cultures of Middle Eastern countries. The booth on Israeli culture, however, had reportedly not been authorized. After reports about the booth began circulating on local social media, attendees expressed outrage and demonstrations were held to condemn the presence of the booth. The university cancelled the Model United Nations event shortly thereafter. Dr. Bashir Khan, Dean of the Faculty of Management Sciences, and Tasneem Fatime, a student adviser, and a lecturer identified by the name Afshan were suspended for their involvement in the event. Scholars at Risk is concerned about the suspension of academics in apparent retaliation for the peaceful exercise of the right of free expression, and about the cancellation of a university event in response to protests over the content of on-campus expression. State and university authorities have a responsibility not to interfere with academic freedom or expressive activity, so long as that activity is undertaken peacefully and responsibly. Suspension aimed at limiting such expressive activity harm academic freedom and related higher education values including autonomy and social responsibility.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-10-26-international-islamic-university-islamabad Country/Territory: PARAGUAY Type(s): Imprisonment Institution: N/A Date of incident: October 13, 2014 Date of report: October 27, 2014 Description: On October 13, 2014 Paraguayan police reportedly arrested student leader Patricio Javier Flores, in connection with his involvement in an October 2, 2014 demonstration at the Paraguayan Ministry of Education, during which protesters demanded increased funding for schools. He was charged with disturbing public order. Flores, a Chilean national who is active in that country’s student movement, was reportedly placed in custody by armed men dressed in civilian clothes who did not identify themselves as officers, placed in an unmarked vehicle, and taken to a local police station. There, Flores has reported that he was questioned without an attorney present about his involvement with Paraguay’s National Federation of Secondary Students (known as Fenaes), and about his connections to an official in Paraguay’s former government. Flores was later placed under house arrest at the Chilean embassy in Asuncion, Paraguay, where he remains as of this report. Scholars at Risk is concerned about arbitrary arrest and detention of student activists in retaliation for their peaceful exercise of the right to free expression and association – conduct which is expressly protected under international human rights instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. State authorities have a responsibility not to interfere with the exercise of such rights, so long as they are undertaken peacefully and responsibly. In addition to the harm to the immediate victims, state actions limiting the rights to free expression or association have a chilling effect on academic freedom and university autonomy, and undermine democratic society generally.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-10-13-na Country/Territory: RUSSIA Type(s): Imprisonment/Prosecution Institution: Kuban State University Date of incident: September 30, 2014 Date of report: October 14, 2014 Description: On September 30, 2014, a Russian appeals court upheld the conviction for “fraudulent use of government funds,” imposed against Professor Mikhail Savva, a professor of political science most recently at [102]

Kuban State University in Krasnodar, Russia, and the Director of Grant Programmes for the Southern Regional Resource Center (SRRC), an NGO that provides programs focusing on inter-ethnic issues and that previously received funding from US-based foundations. In early 2013, Professor Savva publicly voiced concerns about an unusual increase in the severity and number of government inspections of Russian NGOs, including an operation in March 2013, in which the state security service, FSB, seized documents, computers and information from the SRRC. Scholars at Risk understands that on the morning of April 12, 2013, FSB officers raided Professor Savva’s apartment; seized electronic sources of information, documents, photographs, and reports about international travel and meetings with NGOs; and detained Professor Savva, questioning him about his connections to American organizations, and confiscating photographs of trips he had taken abroad. The arrest occurred three days before Professor Savva was scheduled to discuss his concerns about government inspections of Russian NGOs in an address before the Presidential Council for Development of Civil Society and Human Rights. According to reports, Professor Savva was held, following his arrest, without charge and with limited access to family. His lawyer has reported that in May 2013, investigators interrogated Professor Savva – without counsel present, despite his requests – about his academic work, his connections to international programs, and foreign grants received by the SRRC. Professor Savva remained in custody until December 4, 2013, when he was released and placed under house arrest pending the completion of his trial. Reports indicate that, on April 2, 2014, Professor Savva was formally charged with and convicted of “fraudulent use of government funds” and fraudulently receiving payment from his employer, Kuban State University. He received a three-year suspended sentence with two years’ probation, was fined, and is subject to travel restrictions. On September 30, 2014, an appeals court upheld this sentence. Professor Savva has denied the charges against him. Scholars at Risk is concerned about the arrest, detention and prosecution of a scholar in apparent retaliation for nonviolent scholarly and expressive activity, conduct that is expressly protected under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Russia is a party. State authorities have a responsibility not to interfere with scholars’ right to expressive activity, so long as that activity is undertaken peacefully and responsibly. Imprisonment and prosecution aimed at limiting such expressive activity undermine academic freedom and democratic society generally. State officials have an obligation to comply with internationally recognized standards of due process, fair trial, free expression and freedom of association.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-09-30-kuban-state-university Country/Territory: THAILAND Type(s): Imprisonment Institution: Thamassat University Date of incident: September 18, 2014 Date of report: October 1, 2014 Description: On September 18, 2014, Thai authorities interrupted a public forum on democracy at Thammasat University’s Rangsit campus titled “The Fall of Dictatorships,” and detained a group of academics and students who had organized the event. Prior to the event, military authorities had reportedly circulated a letter demanding that the event be cancelled, on the grounds that such events “could affect the government’s attempts to fix national problems” and produce “rifts in society.” In addition, authorities had reportedly instructed university administrators to make the room where the forum was scheduled to be held unavailable; the university complied, but student organizers responded by moving the forum into another location on campus. More than 100 people reportedly attended. After the event had been underway for roughly 30 minutes, police and military officers entered and took into custody four of the academic speakers – historian Niddhi Eoseewong, political science lecturers Janjira Sombatpoonsiri and Prajak Kongkirati, and liberal arts lecturer Chaowarit Chaosangrat – as well as three students who had organized the event. The professors and students were taken to a local police station, where they were reportedly interrogated for a few hours and then released, without being charged with any crime. Scholars at Risk is concerned about arbitrary detention of scholars and students in retaliation for their peaceful exercise of the right to free expression and association – conduct which is expressly protected under international human rights instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Scholars at Risk is also concerned about state attempts to cancel or intervene in peaceful on-campus events, or to otherwise limit academic or political expression or freedom of association on campus. State authorities have a responsibility not to interfere with such activities, so long as they are undertaken peacefully and responsibly. In addition to the harm to the immediate victims, state actions limiting the rights to free academic expression or association have a chilling effect on academic freedom and university autonomy, and undermine democratic society generally.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-09-18-thammasat-university Country/Territory: THAILAND Type(s): Other Institution: Chiang Mai University Date of incident: September 23, 2014

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Date of report: October 7, 2014 Description: On September 23, 2014, Chiang Mai University announced that it had decided to cancel or postpone a symposium scheduled for Thursday, September 25, titled “Happiness and Reconciliation under 2014 Provisional Charter,” after Thailand’s ruling military government reportedly expressed concerns that the event would involve discussions of Thai politics. According to a military spokesman, the government was concerned about allowing the event to go forward because one of the scheduled speakers, Ekachai Chainuvati, deputy dean of Siam University’s law faculty, has political connections, and his presence at the event could lead to mass mobilization. The military spokesman claimed that the country is not ready for political discussions and their potential repercussions. Chiang Mai University reportedly agreed to comply with the government’s request, pledging to submit a letter to the National Council for Peace and Order, formally requesting permission to hold the event, before proceeding. This incident follows similar interventions by Thai authorities. The previous week, police and military personnel cut short a forum at Thammasat University, and took into custody and briefly detained seven professors and students who had organized the event. For more information, see this link. Scholars at Risk is concerned about state attempts to cancel or intervene in peaceful on-campus events, or to otherwise limit academic or political expression or freedom of association on campus – conduct which is expressly protected under international human rights instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. State authorities have a responsibility not to interfere with such activities, so long as they are undertaken peacefully and responsibly. In addition to the harm to the immediate victims, state actions limiting the rights to free academic expression or association on campus have a chilling effect on academic freedom and university autonomy, and undermine democratic society generally.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-09-23-chiang-mai-university Country/Territory: THAILAND Type(s): Imprisonment/Prosecution Institution: Thammasat University Date of incident: October 27, 2014 Date of report: November 4, 2014 Description: On October 27, 2014, a student and an activist were charged in Thai criminal courts with lèse majesté – insulting the monarchy – for staging a play called “The Wolf Bride” at Thammasat University roughly one year earlier. Patiwat Saraiyaem, a student at Khon Kaen University’s Fine and Applied Arts Faculty, acted in the play, while activist Pornthip Mankong coordinated the production. The play, which is about a fictional monarchy, was staged as part of Thammasat University’s commemoration of the 40th Anniversary of pro-democracy student demonstrations that occurred in October 1973. Saraiyaem and Mankong were arrested separately in mid-August 2014. Despite repeated requests for bail, the two were detained for almost 70 days before being officially charged with lèse majesté, under Section 112 of the Thai penal code, on October 27. The charges carry a sentence of 3 to 15 years. Scholars at Risk is concerned about prosecution and imprisonment in retaliation for nonviolent, expressive activity on campus – conduct which is expressly protected under international human rights instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. State authorities have a responsibility not to interfere with such expressive activity, so long as it is undertaken peacefully and responsibly. Prosecution and imprisonment aimed at limiting such expressive activity undermine academic freedom, university autonomy and democratic society generally.

UPDATE: On December 29, 2014, Saraiyaem and Mankong pleaded guilty to the lèse majesté charge, reportedly aiming to secure reduced sentences. The court is expected announce its verdict and issue a sentence on February 23, 2015.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-10-27-thammasat-university Country/Territory: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Type(s): Other Institution: Utah State University Date of incident: October 14, 2014 Date of report: October 16, 2014 Description: On October 14, 2014, feminist media critic Anita Sarkeesian cancelled a speaking engagement scheduled to take place the following day at Utah State University, after the school received an anonymous email threatening “the deadliest school shooting in American history” if the event went forward. Although Sarkeesian had planned on proceeding with the speaking engagement despite the threat, she withdrew after campus police reportedly informed her that, under Utah’s concealed carry gun laws, they could not necessarily prevent guns from being brought into the event. Sarkeesian, an outspoken critic of what she sees as misogynistic trends in video games and video game culture, has reportedly been the subject of escalating threats in recent months. The Utah State University incident, however, represents the first time such threats led her to cancel a speaking engagement.

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Scholars at Risk is concerned about threats of physical violence on campus, particularly when intended to silence, limit or retaliate for on-campus expression. Threats of violence have a chilling effect on academic freedom and institutional autonomy. State and university officials have an obligation to ensure the security of the university space from intimidation and violence, and to do so in a manner consistent with core values, including academic freedom and free expression.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-10-14-utah-state-university Country/Territory: VENEZUELA Type(s): Other Institution: Harvard University – Kennedy School of Government Date of incident: September 11, 2014 Date of report: September 23, 2014 Description: On September 11, 2014, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro reportedly instructed his attorney general to take action against Harvard Professor Ricardo Hausmann, in response to an editorial that Professor Hausmann published about Venezuelan foreign debt. Professor Hausmann served as a minister in the Venezuelan government before President Maduro's predecessor, Hugo Chavez, came to power in 1999. He is currently the Director of the Center for International Development at Harvard University and a Professor of the Practice of Economic Development at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. On September 5, 2014, Professor Hausmann wrote an article in an online publication arguing that it would be in Venezuela's interest to default on its foreign debt, suggesting that many of the bonds held on such debt benefit wealthy Venezuelans at the expense of the country's poor, and criticizing the Maduro government's decision not to default as a "signal of its moral bankruptcy". In a public speech on September 11, 2014, President Maduro responded to the editorial by accusing Professor Hausmann of being a "bandit," stating "I've ordered the public prosecutor, and I've spoken to the attorney general, to start actions because you're involved in a campaign to damage our fatherland." Maduro additionally stated, "We have the proof in your declarations and articles, up there in your mansions where you live with money stolen from Venezuela." As of this report, it was unclear what, if any, action had been taken against Professor Hausmann. Harvard has issued a statement of support for Professor Hausmann, stating in part that "Harvard University and HKS strongly defend the right of any faculty member to communicate his or her views. It is in the open exchange of opinions and ideas that people and nations can learn and prosper." Scholars at Risk is concerned about state threats against scholars in retaliation for academic or political expression, conduct which is expressly protected under international human rights instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Such threats not only impact the immediate victims, but undermine academic freedom, institutional autonomy and the ability of higher education communities to serve their educational, research and social functions, harming all members of these communities and society generally.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-09-11-harvard-university-kennedy-school- government Country/Territory: VENEZUELA Type(s): Other Institution: Medical College of Aragua State Date of incident: September 17, 2014 Date of report: October 17, 2014 Description: On September 17, 2014, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro publicly accused Ángel Sarmiento, the President of the Medical College of Aragua State, of terrorism and has ordered that he be prosecuted. The accusations follow Dr. Sarmiento’s public announcement about a cluster of nine sudden deaths in the city of Maracay, which doctors have now attributed to Chikungunya, a disease transmitted by mosquitoes. President Maduro has said that he has spoken to the Attorney General of Venezuela about the charges. Dr. Sarmiento has reportedly fled the country. Scholars at Risk is concerned about the prosecution of a scholar in apparent retaliation for nonviolent, expressive activity related to his professional expertise and protected by internationally recognized human rights standards. State authorities have a responsibility not to interfere with scholars’ expressive activity, so long as that activity is undertaken peacefully and responsibly. Prosecution aimed at limiting such expressive activity undermines academic freedom and democratic society generally.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-09-17-medical-college-aragua-state Country/Territory: YEMEN Type(s): Killings, Violence, Disappearances/Other Institution: Sana'a University; Al-Iman University Date of incident: September 20, 2014 Date of report: September 23, 2014 Description: During the weekend of September 20, 2014, the ongoing conflict in Yemen between armed Houthi rebels and government forces led to the closure and occupation of two universities in the capital city of [105]

Sana'a. On Saturday, September 20, mortar shells reportedly landed on the campus of Sana'a University, and, although no injuries were reported, officials ordered the university closed and cancelled classes until further notice. Separately, Houthi rebels reportedly seized Sana'a's Al-Iman University after several days of fighting on and around the university's campus; earlier in the week, government forces had reportedly ordered the university closed and had taken it over for military use. Scholars at Risk is concerned about attacks on universities and military occupation or use of university facilities. All parties to military conflict should avoid occupation, use or targeting of educational facilities, including universities. Where a party to a conflict suspects that a civilian facility, such as a university building, is being used for military purposes, that party has affirmative obligations to take every practicable action to verify such use before initiating action against the facility and to make reasonable efforts to avoid collateral harms to civilians, including members of university communities. Failure to observe these obligations may violate international humanitarian law standards. Regardless of military justification, such actions can impair internationally recognized human rights, undermine university autonomy and academic freedom, and damage the ability of universities to serve their educational, social and public functions, including imparting the skills and knowledge necessary for respectful discourse, understanding and peace-building.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-09-20-sanaa-university-al-iman-university Country/Territory: YEMEN Type(s): Other Institution: Dhamar University Date of incident: October 29, 2014 Date of report: November 21, 2014 Description: On Wednesday, October 29, 2014, armed Houthi militants entered state-run Dhamar University in Yemen’s capital city, Sana’a, occupying the campus. The Houthi militants have been engaged in fighting with Yemeni government forces for several months, and as of this report, have recently taken control of Sana’a. The Houthis reportedly claimed that they were occupying the campus to eliminate university corruption. Scholars at Risk is concerned about forced entry and occupation of university campuses by state or non-state military forces. All parties to military conflict should avoid occupation, use or targeting of educational facilities, including universities. Entry into or control of higher education facilities undermines university autonomy and academic freedom, and impairs the ability of higher education institutions to serve their educational, social and public functions, including imparting the skills and knowledge necessary for respectful discourse, understanding and peace-building.

See: http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/reports/2014-10-29-dhamar-university

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Academic Freedom Media Review January 24 - 30, 2015 Compiled by Scholars at Risk

Going After the Donors Colleen Flaherty, Inside Higher Ed, 01/30 No one following the Steven Salaita case was surprised Thursday when the displaced scholar announced he’s suing top administrators of the University of Illinois System and its Urbana-Champaign campus. Salaita had been trying for months to force the university to give him back the tenured professorship in the American Indian studies program he says is his. The institution, meanwhile, has continued to stand behind its decision to rescind the appointment -- which it argues wasn’t yet final -- due to the tenor of Salaita’s anti-Israel tweets. Read more.

Heavy opposition set to defeat key part of Theresa May’s terrorism bill Alan Travis, The Guardian, 01/29 The home secretary, Theresa May, is facing defeat next week over her plan to place a legal duty on universities to prevent students being drawn into terrorism and to ban extremist speakers. The former head of MI5, senior Tories, academics and legal peers have made it clear that they want to see the plan removed from the counter-terrorism and security bill when a key vote takes place next week. Read more.

Thailand junta squelches forum on media censorship Al Jazeera America, 01/29 Thailand's junta has effectively forced a German foundation to cancel a forum discussing new restrictions on the media, scheduled to be held Friday in Bangkok, raising concerns among journalists and right advocates about the junta’s efforts to curtail press freedom and political dissent in what has long been a relatively open society in the region. Read more.

Myanmar rethinks education bill after rare protest march BBC, 01/29 Myanmar's government has agreed to hold talks with students over an education bill, following a rare protest march. The students, who began marching from Mandalay to Yangon last week, say the bill curbs academic freedom and increases central control. They plan to continue marching until 1 February, the date of the talks. Read more.

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Criminal Speech? The Weibo Posts That Could Send Chinese Lawyer Pu Zhiqiang to Prison Josh Chin, The Wall Street Journal, 01/28 Chinese human rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang has never been one to hold his tongue. A document from a law firm that began circulating online Tuesday night shows how police are trying to use that outspokenness to send him to prison. Mr. Pu, a hard-charging attorney and Tiananmen Square veteran known for defending high-profile dissidents such as artist Ai Weiwei, was detained in May. Read more.

The news website that’s keeping press freedom alive in Egypt Leslie T Chang, The Guardian, 01/27 On the afternoon of 17 June 2013, a group of friends gathered in a fourth-floor apartment in downtown Cairo. They sat on the floor because there were no chairs; there were also no desks, no shelves, and no ashtrays. A sign on the door, written in black marker, read “Office of the Artists Formerly nown as Egypt Independent”. What they had was a name – Mada, which means “span” or “range” in Arabic, had been chosen after much debate and many emails between 24 people – and a plan to set up an independent news outlet. Most of them had not seen each other since their former employer, a newspaper called Egypt Independent, closed two months before. Read more.

Unholy silence The Economist, 01/27 The Middle East is by almost any reckoning the world's worst region for freedom of expression. Reporters Without Borders, a press freedom lobby, puts war-torn Syria 177th out of 180 countries on its latest annual ranking, in 2014. Iran is 173rd, Sudan 172nd, Yemen 167th, Saudi Arabia 164th. The highest any of the region's countries make it is 91st, with Kuwait, which has a democracy of sorts. According to the Pew Research Centre, a think-tank, as of 2012, 14 of 20 Middle Eastern countries criminalise blasphemy and 12 of 20 make apostasy—leaving Islam—an offence. Read more.

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

New Members

 University of Zurich, Switzerland

New Hosts

 VU University Amsterdam offered a one year visiting research position to an Iranian scholar. This position was organized in cooperation with SAR’s partner in the Netherlands, the Foundation for Refugee Students/University Assistance Fund.  New York University welcomed a Syrian scholar to campus for an 8-month visiting scholar position.  A scholar from Iran was offered a year-long research position at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. This position was organized in cooperation with SAR’s partner in the Netherlands, the Foundation for Refugee Students/University Assistance Fund.  University of Aberdeen, UK, welcomed an Iraqi scholar to campus for a one-year placement. This position was organized by SAR’s partner in the UK, the Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA).

Events

February 7, United Kingdom: Stephen Wordsworth, Executive Director of The Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA), SAR’s partner organization in the UK, will deliver a talk at the International Development Conference at Imperial College London. The event is focused on humanitarian aid and social and economic development. Stephen will introduce CARA and discuss its link to international development with regards to refugee crises, protecting knowledge and talent. For more information, please contact [email protected].

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wrath of political, religious, and cultural regimes. Speakers—including a SAR scholar- artist—will examine the history of art censorship, the role of artists as collaborators and rebels, and the self-censorship of gallery and museum directors. The agenda also pairs artists and scholars to discuss activist art, the threat posed by art, the potency of art, artists at risk, and artists in exile. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, please see: http://www.newschool.edu/cps/fear-of-art/

February 15‐17, Washington DC: SAR staff will roll out SAR’s “#Free2Think” Campaign at the 2015 conference of the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA). Rob Quinn, SAR’s Executive Director, will also present on the panel “International Education and Academic Values: Can Universities go Abroad and Take Their Values with Them?” For more information, please see: http://www.aieaworld.org/2015-annual-conference. If you will be attending the conference, please feel free to reach out to [email protected] to schedule a time to speak with SAR staff.

February 18, New Orleans: SAR Executive Director Rob Quinn will present on the panel “Censorship - Self Or Otherwise - In Higher Education” at the 2015 Annual International Studies Association conference. For more information please see: http://www.isanet.org/Conferences/New-Orleans-2015

Academic Freedom Monitor

Rosnida Sari, a lecturer in gender studies at Ar-Raniry State Islamic University in Banda

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Aceh, Indonesia, has been subjected to threats and suspended from teaching after inviting a group of her students to voluntarily visit a Christian church as part of a lesson about religious tolerance. To read more about this incident and for other incidents recently reported, please see http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/ .

New Resources

Freedom House released Freedom in the World 2015, its annual report on the condition of political rights and civil liberties. The report finds an overall decline in freedom for the ninth consecutive year, and specifically notes more aggressive tactics by authoritarian regimes and an upsurge in terrorist attacks in 2014.

Human Rights Watch released World Report 2015, its 25th annual review of human rights practices around the globe. The report summarizes key human rights issues in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide. Several of the most daunting security challenges identified include the rise of the extremist group Islamic State, China’s crackdown on Uighurs in Xinjiang, and Mexico’s abuse-riddled war on drugs.

Gifts to SAR in January Felice Levine Jim and Jean Silk Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua Ragnhild Øien Guldvog Claudia Koonz Michele Irwin Antoinette Charon Wauters

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Start a Scholars at Risk Student Advocacy Seminar at your campus today!

What is a Student Advocacy Seminar? In cooperation with the Scholars at Risk office, students investigate attacks on higher education communities through the SAR Academic Freedom Monitoring Project, or help research and advocate for scholars and students facing alleged unjust restriction, prosecution or imprisonment through the SAR Scholars-in-Prison Project. A SAR Student Advocacy Seminar offers network members an opportunity to help students develop research and advocacy skills - and students agree! According to a student in Beloit College's Fall 2014 Student Advocacy Seminar, "The cooperation with Scholars at Risk was a great chance to steer outside of theoretical work and do something in an actual, ongoing case of human rights abuse."

Who can start a Student Advocacy Seminar? Any interested students or Faculty supervisors

How do I get started? Faculty arrange and supervise a small group seminar, independent study, or internship workshop for students at their institution, and each group adopts one or more scholar cases or one or more countries to monitor. Students work to raise awareness of cases or incidents including, as appropriate, undertaking informational outreach to local, national and intergovernmental authorities and others capable of intervening positively. Faculty supervise the students, handle all local academic requirements and coordinate with SAR staff, who provide background information and advice.

Where: Your college or university campus

When: Fall 2015

Why: Students gain experience in human rights research, standards and mechanisms; persuasive writing (including case dossiers, letters and appeal campaigns); leadership; advocacy and awareness-building. Students work to raise awareness of cases or incidents including, as appropriate, undertaking informational outreach to local, national and intergovernmental authorities and others capable of intervening positively. If your institution is looking for a way to engage students in SAR's work, the SAR Student Advocacy Seminar is a perfect opportunity.

Learn more by downloading SAR's Student Advocacy Seminar flyer, available on our website. Scholars at Risk invites students and faculty interested in starting a Student Advocacy Seminar to contact us at +1 212-998-2179 or [email protected].

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Academic Freedom Media Review January 31 - February 6, 2015 Compiled by Scholars at Risk

Chinese Student to Contest Expulsion From Norway, Lawyer Says Bree Feng, New York Times, 02/06 A lawyer for a Chinese doctoral student who was expelled from Norway last month on the grounds that his research could be used for military purposes said that the student would contest the Norwegian government’s decision and that the case “will be sent to the court” on Monday. The Norwegian authorities had ordered the student to leave the country by Jan. 23, because they believed he was “part of a research exchange who is using the information to benefit military authorities in China,” said Nils Anders Gronas, the lawyer. Read more.

To Be Syrian and a Professor: Recipe for Tragedy Wassim Abdo, Al-Fanar Media, 02/06 Syrian professors have two choices: Stay in their country and risk their lives or scatter to the winds and live largely in isolation. Regardless of what choice they make, many Syrian academics believe they are a group largely forgotten by international humanitarian organizations. Read more.

Worrying silence as academic freedom comes under threat at University of Hong Kong Albert Cheng, South China Morning Post, 02/05 Two weeks ago, Vice-President Li Yuanchao made an enigmatic remark in the wake of Occupy Central. He told a group of returned overseas Chinese in Beijing that the organisers of the protest movement had failed. Then he asserted: "The really interesting part of the show is yet to come." Read more.

Counter-terror bill: amendments passed but concerns persist Chris Havergal, Times Higher Education, 02/05 Additional protection for academic freedom has been added to the government’s counterterrorism bill, but some vice-chancellors and peers still have concerns about the proposed new laws. At a debate in the House of Lords on 4 February, peers agreed government amendments that introduced references to universities’ obligations around

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freedom of speech, and which require guidance relating to the bill to be put before Parliament. Read more.

Myanmar Students Reject Government Warning to Stop Protests Associated Press, 02/05 University students from across Myanmar on Friday rejected a government warning that they stop protesting against a new education law that they say prohibits them from engaging in political activities and curbs academic freedom. A student activist contacted by phone said they continue their march Friday and that colleagues from different universities will join forces in Yangon. Read more.

Firing a Faculty Blogger Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed, 02/05 A controversial professor on Wednesday revealed that Marquette University is trying to revoke his tenure and fire him for statements he made about a graduate instructor, with her name, on his blog. The university says his behavior was unprofessional and that he misled the public about what happened in a dispute between the graduate instructor and an undergraduate student. The professor, John McAdams, says he is being punished for his free speech. Read more.

Egypt: Investigate Professor’s Allegations of Torture Human Rights Watch, 02/03 Egyptian judicial authorities should investigate allegations that police tortured an economics professor and his brother. Abdallah Shehata, a former Finance Ministry advisor, and his brother As’ad have been held since they were detained on November 28, 2014. A lawyer told Human Rights Watch in December that interrogators subjected Shehata, who once led Egypt’s negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, and his brother to electrocution and other mistreatment to force Shehata to confess to weapons possession and other charges related to violence. Attempts by the lawyer to file a complaint for torture were reportedly dismissed by the prosecutor. Read more.

Ethics of Engagement Elizabeth Redden, Inside Higher Ed, 02/02 After Algonquin College, a community college in Ontario, announced that it would be opening an all-male campus in Jazan, Saudi Arabia, the faculty union’s newsletter published an alarming image: that of the beheaded bodies of five Yemeni nationals convicted of murder and robbery. Their bodies dangled in public display from a pole between two cranes parked in front of Jazan University, where students were reportedly taking exams. Read more.

Free speech? Not at four in five UK universities Louise Tickle, The Guardian, 02/02 When Professor Thomas Scotto, of Essex University’s department of government, invited Israel’s deputy ambassador to give a talk to political science students, he hoped for “lots of disagreement: that the speaker would express his views and that the students would challenge him”. Instead, a noisy protest outside the venue ramped up into an attempt to storm the building, students in the lecture theatre heckled the Israeli diplomat, and it became impossible for him to begin. With feelings running high, university security said they

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could no longer guarantee the speaker’s safety. The event had to be abandoned. Read more.

Mexico artist's exhibition is vivid protest for missing students Renee Lewis, Al Jazeera, 02/01 On Sept. 26, 2014, 43 students from Ayotzinapa Normal School, a teacher training college in Iguala, Mexico, were preparing for a trip to Mexico City to protest the massacre of hundreds of students in 1968. While the students were organizing in Iguala for an upcoming protest, police opened fire on them, and the students went missing. Read more.

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Visit with Scholars at Risk @ AIEA in Washington, DC Washington Marriott Wardman Park February 16-17, 2015

Scholars at Risk will have a presence at the Association of International Education Administrators' (AIEA) annual conference in Washington, DC next week. If you, friends at your institution, or friends at other institutions will be there:

 Visit us at the registration table (and take a photo with our new #free2think banner!)  Tell friends and colleagues to visit the table to learn more about SAR  Join the discussion at the panel International Education and Academic Values: Can Universities Go Abroad and Take Their Values with them?, Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 5PM (Room Virginia A) featuring SAR Ex. Dir. Robert Quinn, Karin Fischer of The Chronicle of Higher Education, Peter Stearns of George Mason University, James A. Millward of Georgetown University (a SAR sustaining member). For more information on the panel, see page 18 of the program. For more information about the conference, click here.

See you in DC!

PS -- Help grow the network: Are you involved in organizing an association meeting? Help grow the SAR network by organizing a SAR-related lecture, panel, booth or other SAR presence. Contact the SAR office to discuss.

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Dear friends,

• Iranian scholar of political science • Iranian scholar of philosophy, Islamic theology, and gender studies • Syrian scholar of food engineering and food science • Iranian scholar of gender studies, human resource management

More information is available from the SAR network office at [email protected] and +1 212 998-2179. Thank you for your help.

Scholars of the Week IRAN-713

Field: Political Science Risk: Threat of re-arrest/imprisonment Language: Persian, English (fluent) Education: PhD

This senior academic is a political scientist whose work focuses on socio-political and cultural affairs. He holds a PhD and an MA in political science from universities in Iran. Prior to pursuing his PhD, this scholar worked on a project establishing night schools in Iran to increase education access for underprivileged communities in the country. He has over twenty years of teaching experience, having taught courses on political sociology and constitutional law as an Assistant Professor at a university in Iran. A prolific writer, he has published over 300 articles, essays and political commentaries in Iranian news and media publications. He seeks research and/or teaching opportunities beginning immediately.

IRAN-712

Field: Philosophy, Islamic Theology, Gender Studies Risk: Threat to life/person (displaced) Language: Persian (native), English, Arabic (Fluent), French (Basic) Education: PhD

This scholar holds his PhD in Philosophy from a university in Iran, concentrating on epistemology and Islamic Studies. He holds additional expertise in Islamic Queer theory, Ethics Metaphysics, Philosophy of Illumination, and Islamic Mysticism. For over six years, he taught courses on philosophy and gender studies at a university in Iran, where he simultaneously contributed to several university research projects including most recently on the contextualism of knowledge and philosophy of Ijtihad. He has been a visiting scholar at universities in Canada and the Netherlands and has authored six books, two of which won literary prizes, in addition to numerous academic articles. Currently in the Netherlands, the scholar seeks research positions in a safe and stable environment beginning immediately.

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SYRI-599

Field: Food Engineering/Food Science Risk: Threat to life/person Language: Arabic, French (fluent), English (advanced) Education: PhD (France)

This scholar is a food scientist whose specialties include biotechnology and food analysis. She holds a PhD and an MSc in food biotechnology and processing from a university in France, along with a BA in food engineering from a university in Syria. The majority of this scholar’s research has focused on pigments in food, including her PhD dissertation which focused on creating natural pigments through the use of enzymes. She has more than 10 years of teaching experience and would be comfortable teaching in French or researching in English/French. She seeks research and/or teaching opportunities beginning Fall 2015.

IRAN-629

Field: Gender Studies, Human Resource Management Risk: Threat to life/person (displaced) Language: Farsi, English (fluent), Hindi (intermediate) Education: PhD (India)

This scholar holds a PhD in Human Resource Management from a university in India and has researched and published extensively in the field of gender studies. Her academic work has focused on gender discrimination and employment in Iran, her articles on which have been published in Asian management and research journals. She previously taught courses on human resource management and organizational behavior as an Assistant Professor at a university in Iran. She also worked for five years as a human resource manager in the private sector. Currently a visiting professor at university in the United States, she is co-writing a university textbook and working on several articles on gender in the workplace. This scholar seeks teaching and/or research opportunities beginning Fall 2015.

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Dear friends,

• Iranian scholar of political science • Syrian scholar of visual arts • Syrian scholar of theatre arts and Middle East literature • Iranian scholar of philosophy, Islamic theology, and gender studies • Syrian scholar of food engineering and food science • Iranian scholar of gender studies, human resource management

More information is available from the SAR network office at [email protected] and +1 212 998-2179. Thank you for your help.

Scholars of the Week

IRAN-713

Field: Political Science Risk: Threat of re-arrest/imprisonment Language: Persian, English (fluent) Education: PhD Seeking: Opportunities beginning immediately to continue his teaching and research

SYRI-582

Field: Visual arts Risk: Harassment/intimidation (displaced) Language: Arabic (native), English, Polish (fluent) Education: PhD (Poland) Seeking: Opportunities to continue her research and teaching in the United States beginning Fall 2015

SYRI-596

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Field: Theatre Arts/Middle Eastern Literature Risk: Threat to life/person (displaced) Language: Arabic, English (fluent) Education: PhD (honoris causa, Pakistan) Seeking: Opportunities to continue his research and teaching in the United States beginning Fall 2015

IRAN-712

Field: Philosophy, Islamic Theology, Gender Studies Risk: Threat to life/person (displaced) Language: Persian (native), English, Arabic (Fluent), French (Basic) Education: PhD Seeking: Opportunities beginning immediately to continue his teaching and research

SYRI-599

Field: Food Engineering/Food Science Risk: Threat to life/person Language: Arabic, French (fluent), English (advanced) Education: PhD (France) Seeking: Opportunities beginning Fall 2015 to continue her teaching and research

IRAN-629

Field: Gender Studies, Human Resource Management Risk: Threat to life/person (displaced) Language: Farsi, English (fluent), Hindi (intermediate) Education: PhD (India) Seeking: Opportunities beginning Fall 2015 to continue her teaching and/or research and/or writing

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Academic Freedom Media Review February 7 - 13, 2015 Compiled by Scholars at Risk

South Africa: Durban University students demand ban on Jews Jayalakshmi K., International Business Times, 02/13 After an outrageous call to "ban Jewish students", the Durban University of Technology's Student Representative Council (SRC) has backtracked, saying it wanted students "funded by Israel banned and not all Jewish students". The council and the Progressive Youth Alliance had on Tuesday written to the university management demanding that Jewish students be deregistered. The SRC president Ayanda Ngidi however said that the call was to deregister only the "Zionists", or students funded by the government of Israel, and not all Jewish students. Read more.

Ex-HKU law dean Johannes Chan calls for review of government’s universities role Ada Lee and Lai Ying-Kit, South China Morning Post, 02/13 The government’s role in higher education should be reviewed, former University of Hong Kong law dean Johannes Chan Man-mun said, after concerns emerged that the chief executive may have interfered in his possible appointment as an HKU pro-vice-chancellor. Chan, who is believed to be a pro-vice-chancellor candidate, was speaking at the University of Cambridge in Britain as a visiting professor yesterday. An Apple Daily report accused Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying of telling the university’s council members not to elect Chan. Leung’s office denied it, but his top adviser Sophia Kao Ching-chi admitted discussing with unidentified people whether Chan was fit for the position. Read more.

Agricultural researchers rattled by demands for documents Keith Kloor, Science, 02/13 The fierce public relations war over genetically modified (GM) food has a new front. A nonprofit group opposed to GM products filed a flurry of freedom of information requests late last month with at least four U.S. universities, asking administrators to turn over any correspondence between a dozen academic researchers and a handful of agricultural companies, trade groups, and PR firms. The scientists—many of whom have publicly supported agricultural biotechnologies—are debating how best to respond, and at least one university has already rejected the request. Read more.

Report: Press freedom experienced ‘drastic decline’ in 2014 Ned Resnikoff, Al Jazeera, 02/12 The latest edition of the annual World Press Freedom Index, released Thursday by the international organization Reporters Without Borders, paints a grim picture of media censorship around the globe. The group said it has found that had press freedom experienced a “worldwide deterioration" over the past year. “Two-thirds of the 180 countries surveyed for the 2015 World Press Freedom Index performed less well than in the previous year,” according to a news release accompanying the report. Every populated continent experienced an overall decline in press freedom ratings. Read more. [120]

Counter-Terror bill receives Royal Assent Chris Havergal, Times Higher Education, 02/12 Subject to parliamentary approval of secondary legislation before the end of next month, the new law will place higher education institutions under a statutory duty to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism. This will, for example, require universities to consider government guidance when deciding who may speak on campus. If an institution is felt to have consistently failed to follow the guidance, the Home Office will have the power to issue a direction, enforceable by a court order. Read more.

Junta is not amused by student mockery of regime Suluck Lamubol, University World News, 02/11 A traditional university event that gives students rein to light-heartedly criticise politicians is the latest target of Thailand’s military government crackdown on criticism of the regime. Amid a climate of heavy media censorship and a ban on the expression of political views in public and on campuses, a student parade that traditionally includes light-hearted, colourful floats that lampoon political figures and that has for decades been part of an inter-university annual soccer match, has this year attracted particular attention from the authorities and the public. Read more.

Al-Arian, Controversial Former Professor, Deported Inside Higher Ed, 02/09 Sami Al-Arian, who was fired as a tenured professor by the University of South Florida in 2003, was deported last week from the United States to Turkey. Al-Arian was fired after he was indicted on federal charges of helping a terrorist group. In 2005, a jury cleared him of some charges and deadlocked on others -- convicting him of nothing. Read more.

A New Generation Takes to the Streets in Burma Min Zin, Foreign Policy, 02/09 The fighting peacock rides again. That long-standing symbol of the Burmese student movement, an emblem of resistance to authoritarian rule, once again adorns countless bright red flags held aloft by student activists. Thousands of the students, including high schoolers, are now marching — in some cases for hundreds of miles — from several major provincial cities to Rangoon. They’re protesting against the country’s National Education Law, which was approved by parliament in September 2014 despite objections from student unions and expert networks. The students and their allies view the law as explicitly designed to curb academic freedom. Read more.

U.S. academics condemn Japanese efforts to revise history of ‘comfort women’ Anna Fifield, The Washington Post, 02/09 A group of American historians is issuing a call to their Japanese counterparts to remain steadfast in the face of pressure from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government to play down the army’s use of “comfort women” during World War II. […]“As historians, we express our dismay at recent attempts by the Japanese government to suppress statements in history textbooks both in Japan and elsewhere about the euphemistically named ‘comfort women,’ ” says the letter to be published in the March issue of the American Historical Association’s magazine, Perspectives on History. Read more.

University Values

University Values is an electronic bulletin and blog featuring articles, essays, opinion pieces [121]

and announcements promoting discussion and understanding of university values, including values of access, accountability, academic freedom, autonomy and social responsibility.

New post:

The UNESCO 1997 Recommendation - Is it legally binding?

Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua University of Lincoln, United Kingdom

The UNESCO General Conference adopted the Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel (Recommendation) in 1997. The document was passed without a dissenting vote, with four countries issuing reservations. This moment was a watershed in the evolution, consolidation and standardisation of the principles promoting academic freedom in the world. Yet, the Recommendation is generally considered to be non-binding simply because it has the judicial status of “soft law.” “Soft law” refers to quasi-legal instruments which are hortatory and therefore lack legal binding force, but not legal significance because of the normative values they epitomise.

I make the following arguments to support the proposition that the Recommendation has had binding force from the beginning or at least has now attained that status.

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Scholars at Risk calls for letters on behalf of professor whose Bahraini citizenship has been revoked February 17, 2015

Scholars at Risk is gravely concerned over reports that Professor Masaud Jahromi, Chairman of Telecommunication Engineering Department at Ahlia University in Bahrain, recently had his Bahraini citizenship revoked.

SAR calls for letters, emails, and faxes respectfully urging authorities to ensure that Professor Jahromi's citizenship is reinstated and the matter of his citizenship is addressed in a manner consistent with internationally recognized standards of due process and fair trial, in accordance with Bahrain’s obligations under international law.

Click here to share your concern with the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain and other authorities

Further information:

Professor Jahromi holds a PhD in Telecommunication Networking from University of Kent at Canterbury in the United Kingdom, and he is the Chairman of the Telecommunication Engineering Department at Ahlia University, where he has worked for ten years. Professor Jahromi was arrested in April of 2011, after reportedly participating in a peaceful pro-democracy protest and signing on to a statement along with other academics supporting a call for dialogue between the government and the protesters—nonviolent expressive and associative activity that is expressly protected by international human rights standards. In spite of this, in January 2012, a Bahraini court found Professor Jahromi guilty of the crimes of “incitement to hatred of a regime and/or participation in unauthorized rallies.” He was sentenced to four months in prison, which he served. Following his release, Professor Jahromi resumed his position at Ahlia University. As of this date, no other information is available about any additional arrests or allegations against Professor Jahromi.

Scholars at Risk understands that on January 31, 2015, Professor Jahromi learned through media reports that he, along with 71 other individuals, had his Bahraini citizenship revoked by the Ministry of Interior. The Ministry of Interior’s statement alleged that the revocation was “for illegal acts”, including supporting and participating in terrorist activities, as well as “[s]pying for foreign countries and recruiting a number of persons through social media”, “[d]efaming the image of the regime, inciting against the regime and spreading false news to hinder the rules of the constitution”, “[i]nciting and advocating regime change through illegal means”, and “[d]efaming brotherly countries.”

Scholars at Risk understands that this decree was reportedly instituted without court proceedings or other due process, effectively rendering the majority of its targets stateless, including Professor Jahromi.

Scholars at Risk welcomes any additional or contrary information that may clarify our understanding of these events. Absent this, the facts as described appear to constitute violations of internationally recognized human rights and standards of due process, fair trial, and freedom of expression and association, as guaranteed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Bahrain has acceded. In addition, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights explicitly protects the right of individuals to be free from arbitrary deprivations of their nationality.

Scholars at Risk therefore invites letters, emails and faxes be sent to the appropriate authorities, respectfully urging:

-that Professor Jahromi's citizenship is reinstated and

-that the matter of Professor Jamromi's citizenship is addressed in a manner consistent with internationally recognized standards of due process and fair trial, in accordance with Bahrain’s obligations under international law.

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Academic Freedom Media Review February 14 - 20, 2015 Compiled by Scholars at Risk

What do young voters think about free speech? Abby Young-Powell, The Guardian, 02/20 In our new “Virgin voters” series we listen to what young people and first-time voters have to say about the election issues that matter most to them. First up: free speech on campus. Read more.

Ideology Seen as Factor in Closings in University of North Carolina System Richard Fausset, The New York Times, 02/19 An advisory panel of the University of North Carolina’s Board of Governors has recommended closing three academic centers, including a poverty center and one dedicated to social change, inciting outrage among liberals who believe that conservatives in control of state government are targeting ideological opponents in academia. Read more.

UMass reverses policy on Iranian students Steve Annear and Eric Bosco, The Boston Globe, 02/18 The University of Massachusetts Amherst on Wednesday backed away from its policy barring Iranians from graduate engineering programs, just days after its aggressive new response to US sanctions sparked a groundswell of protests from students and faculty. Read more.

Law Profs Challenge Title IX Policy’s Protection of Academic Freedom Andrew M. Duehren, The Harvard Crimson, 02/18 As Harvard Law School moves to depart from Harvard’s newly centralized procedures for investigating cases of alleged sexual misconduct, a group of Law professors continue to criticize the University-wide policy that defines sexual harassment, claiming that it offers lackluster protections of academic freedom. Read more.

Colleges Need Their Imperfect Critics Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic, 02/18 Having argued that Marquette University is wrong to strip Professor John McAdams of tenure, setting precedents that are likely to undermine academic freedom, I'd like to set aside the debate about whether or not he should've been terminated and take up the question of how disagreements on campus ought to unfold. Read more.

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HKU academics demand to know if CY Leung blocked honorary degrees Jeffie Lam, South China Morning Post, 02/17 University of Hong Kong academics have demanded that Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying give them a straight answer on whether he has ever vetoed nominations for honorary degrees. The Academic Staff Association (ASA) of HKU wrote to Leung, who is the university’s chancellor, days after he declined to give a clear response to the allegation that he had blocked recommendations for honorary degrees made by an HKU committee. Read more.

Egyptian student given prison sentence for atheist Facebook posts Emir Nader, Daily News Egypt, 02/17 A student from Ismailia was given a one year prison sentence by a court Monday for contempt of religion relating to activities on campus and atheist statements online. Sherif Gaber, 22, was studying at Suez Canal University in 2013, when teaching staff and fellow students reported him via a petition to the institution’s President. They said he had made posts supporting atheism on Facebook, and suspected him of being behind a page called ‘The Atheists’. Read more.

Glass Houses Liz Reisberg, Inside Higher Ed, 02/17 In the global competition that determines which country commits the most and worst human rights violations, there are only losers. If universities anywhere are going to engage in international endeavors and partnerships, then the members of those academic communities will have to decide whether and how to confront policies and practices of host governments that they may find distasteful. Read more.

Hong Kong’s Classroom Crackdown The Wall Street Journal, 02/16 In attempting to stifle Hong ong’s democracy movement, local officials and their pro- Beijing allies have been squeezing independent media, courts and police. Now they’re targeting university professors and students. Read more.

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Dear friends,

• Iraqi scholar of archaeology and anthropology • Pakistani scholar of human rights and development economics • Congolese scholar of law and human rights • Congolese scholar of political science and sociology • Pakistani scholar of applied linguistics and education • Iraqi scholar of political science

More information is available from the SAR network office at [email protected] and +1 212 998-2179. Thank you for your help.

Scholars of the Week IRAQ-771

Field: Archaeology, Anthropology Risk: Threat to life/person Language: Arabic (native), English (fluent) Education: MA (US) Seeking: Research, teaching, and/or study opportunities beginning immediately

PAKI-558

Field: Human Rights; Development Economics Risk: Harassment/Intimidation (displaced) Language: English, Urdu (fluent) Education: MS (US), MA Seeking: Opportunities beginning Summer 2015 to continue his research

DRCO-564

Field: Law; Human Rights Risk: Threat of arrest/violence (displaced) Language: Swahili, French (fluent), Lingala, English (intermediate) Education: LLM Seeking: Opportunities to continue his research, teaching, and/or graduate studies beginning

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Summer 2015

DRCO-570

PAKI-569

Field: Applied linguistics; Education Risk: Threat to life/person with academic trigger (displaced) Language: Urdu (native), English (fluent) Education: PhD (UK) Seeking: Opportunities beginning Fall 2015 to continue teaching and researching in the United States

IRAQ-758

Field: Political Science Risk: Threat to life/person (displaced) Language: Arabic (fluent), English (fluent) Education: PhD (Italy) Seeking: Opportunities beginning Summer 2015 to continue teaching, researching, and/or writing in the United States

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Dear friends,

More information is available from the SAR network office at [email protected] and +1 212 998-2179. Thank you for your help.

Scholars of the Week

IRAQ-771

Field: Archaeology, Anthropology Risk: Threat to life/person Language: Arabic (native), English (fluent) Education: MA (US)

This promising junior scholar is an archaeologist with several years of experience as a university lecturer and field researcher. He received his MA in anthropology from an American university and his BA in archaeology from an Iraqi university. He has participated in several training programs and workshops organized by the US Embassy in Iraq, and has conducted field research in Yemen, Iraq, Colorado, and Nevada. He was previously a lecturer at a university in Iraq, where he also held leadership positions, and is a promising researcher with three published academic articles, and three articles in preparation for publication. His research interests include Paleoanthropology, Paleolithic archaeology, lithic (stone tool) analysis, and Southwest Asia. Currently in Iraq, this scholar seeks research, teaching, and/or study opportunities in a safe and stable environment beginning immediately.

PAKI-558

Field: Human Rights; Development Economics Risk: Harassment/Intimidation (displaced) Language: English, Urdu (fluent) Education: MS (US), MA

This scholar is a highly experienced human rights defender and economic development professional whose work focuses on poverty alleviation, human development, and inclusive development approaches. Currently teaching at a university in the Netherlands, he has previously taught undergraduate and graduate level courses at six prominent universities in Pakistan and the United States and contributed to the development of several Master's-level courses at US and Pakistani universities. This scholar is also the director of a prominent economic and human development NGO in Pakistan and worked as a UN consultant and policy [128]

adviser. Over the last two decades, he has published over 35 articles on human rights, international relations and foreign policy, and justice and peace issues in Pakistan in both Pakistani and international journals. Currently in the Netherlands, this scholar is looking for opportunities beginning Summer 2015 to continue his writing in safety.

DRCO-564

Field: Law; Human Rights Risk: Threat of arrest/violence (displaced) Language: Swahili, French (fluent), Lingala, English (intermediate) Education: LLM

Previously a professor in the law faculty at a university in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), this scholar holds a LLM and LLB equivalents from the same university. He has taught courses on civil law, civil responsibility and judgment, and has supervised the theses of bachelor and master’s students. In addition to his academic experience, the scholar is a practicing lawyer and human rights defender who worked as an attorney for a university and on a court of appeals. His human rights work has included research on workers’ rights, land rights, sexual violence, mass rape, justice in the DRC, and forced marriages and illegal exploitation of mines. In addition to comparative adoption law, his current research interests include land rights and questions of equality in African legislation. This scholar seeks opportunities to continue his research, teaching, and/or graduate studies beginning Summer 2015.

DRCO-570

Field: Political Science, Sociology, Conflict Resolution Risk: Threat to life/person Language: French, Kiswahili (fluent) Education: MA

This scholar has a decade of teaching experience in Political Science and Sociology, and has published several articles on peace and conflict in Africa. He holds a Master’s degree in Conflict Management and Peace from a university in West Africa, and another graduate degree and a BA in Political Science and Administration from a Congolese university. He currently teaches courses on political science, gender and development, and political and administrative institutions of the DRC at a Congolese university, where he also serves in leadership positions. His current research interests include the effects of rebel governance on human rights in eastern DRC. This scholar is also active in NGO work, and has worked with the UN and Congolese parliament in the past. The scholar is searching for research or teaching opportunities beginning immediately in French-speaking Africa, Europe, or North America.

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Academic Freedom Media Review February 21 - 27, 2015 Compiled by Scholars at Risk

Beijing Courts Address the Right to Criticize Public Figures Patrick Boelher, The New York Times, 02/27 In a political environment where public discourse is constrained by layers of censorship and self-censorship, Kong Qingdong, a neo-Maoist literary scholar at Peking University and an avid blogger, has long attracted attention with his vociferous commentaries. Read more.

American atheist blogger hacked to death in Bangladesh Agence France-Presse, 02/27 A prominent American blogger of Bangladeshi origin was hacked to death with machetes by unidentified assailants in Dhaka, police said, with the atheist writer’s family claiming he had received numerous threats from Islamists. The body of Avijit Roy, founder of Mukto-Mona (Free-mind) blog site which champions liberal secular writing in the Muslim-majority nation, was found covered in blood after the attack which also left his wife critically wounded. Read more.

UNC governors vote to close 3 university-based centers Andrew Dunn and Jane Stancill, The Charlotte Observer, 02/27 The UNC Board of Governors voted Friday to close three university-based centers as part of a sweeping review of institutes across universities in North Carolina. Faculty members have described the decision as an attack on academic freedom. Jim Holmes, the board member who led the review, repeatedly said the process was about making the system work better. Centers singled out for closing didn’t require the structure to do their jobs, he said. Read more.

China's new definition of terrorism removes 'thoughts' Agence France-Presse, 02/26 Thoughts will not be subject to prosecution under China's new definition of terrorism, state- run media said Thursday. A panel of China's rubber-stamp legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC), removed the word from a draft of the country's first-ever anti- terrorism law, the Beijing News reported. Read more.

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Government urged to allow university student elections Ashraf Khaled, University World News, 02/26 Students in Egypt are pushing the government to hold university student elections more than a year after their original due date, amid increasing on-campus restrictions. Student union representatives from several universities held a crisis meeting in Cairo last week and threatened “escalation” if the polls were not held before the end of the current academic year. Read more.

Du Pisani disheartened by silence on Research Act Luqman Cloete, The Namibian, 02/25 Delivering a presentation in his private capacity during the 25-year commemoration of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung's (FES) existence in Namibia last week, Du Pisani said higher education institutions (HEIs) “sadly have veered critically off-course, regressing from sites of critical debate to manufacturing drones”. Read more.

Two Thais jailed for 'insulting' royal family in university play Agence France-Presse, 02/23/2015 Two young Thais accused of insulting the monarchy in a university play were jailed for two and a half years on Monday as the ruling junta intensifies its crackdown on perceived royal slurs under the kingdom’s controversial lese majeste law. Patiwat Saraiyaem, 23, and Porntip Mankong, 26, were sentenced after admitting defamation after their arrest last August, nearly a year after The Wolf Bride, a satire set in a fictional kingdom, was performed at Bangkok’s Thammasat University. Read more.

Johns Hopkins shuts down Yangon University project Wa Lone and Thomas Kean, Myanmar Times, 02/23 Launched to much fanfare little more than two years ago, the International Center of Excellence (ICOE) re-established ties between Johns Hopkins University and Yangon University that dated back to the 1950s, and was lauded as an early but important step forward for education reform. However, in November 2014 Johns Hopkins abruptly cancelled the project, despite 67 students having been accepted for its 2015 intake. Read more.

Former AAUP president: ‘University likely to face censure’ Abigale Svoboda, The Daily Illini, 02/23 While facing the possibility of censure from the American Association of University Professors, the University could avoid it by changing its policies or coming to an agreement with Steven Salaita, said Cary Nelson, former AAUP president and English professor. The AAUP will vote on whether to censure University administrations at its national annual conference on June 13. There are currently 47 school administrations on the AAUP censure list. Many are small, religious schools and some have been censured for over 50 years. If the University is censured it will be the only Big Ten school currently on the list. Read more.

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New Members

 The Organization for Social Science Research in Eastern and Southern Africa joined SAR as a partner network.  Richmond University joined SAR as part of the CARA-SAR UK Universities Network.

New Sustaining Members

 Columbia University, New York City, USA  University of Lausanne, Switzerland

New Hosts

 Utrecht University welcomed a scholar from Iran to campus as a research scholar. This position was organized in cooperation with SAR’s partner in the Netherlands, the Foundation for Refugee Students/University Assistance Fund.  A scholar from the Maldives received a three-year extension of her position at the University of New South Wales, Australia.  A Congolese scholar was offered a one-year extension of his position at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland.  An Iranian scholar received an extension of her visiting scholar position at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. This placement was made possible with support from Universities Ireland.

Events

February 27-28, Bloomington, IL: Illinois Wesleyan University’s Center for Human Rights and Social Justice hosts its 3rd Annual Human Rights Undergraduate Research Workshop on “Human Rights and Free Expression.” A SAR scholar from Ethiopia will give keynote remarks, presenting on “The implications of Anti-terrorism Laws on Freedom of Expression in sub-Saharan Africa.”

March 4, Canada: Carleton University and University of Ottawa will celebrate the joint launch of the Scholars at Risk program on their campuses with an event featuring talks by a SAR scholar of journalism from Zimbabwe and a SAR scholar of political science from Kyrgyzstan. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, please see http://events.carleton.ca/je-suis-scholar-carleton-university-and-the-university-of- ottawa-scholars-at-risk-sar-launch-event/.

March 12, Washington, D.C.: Scholars at Risk and the Institute of International Education’s Scholar Rescue Fund will present a special session at the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) conference. The session, entitled “Protecting Scholars and Preserving Academic Freedom: A Special Presentation by Scholars at Risk and IIE- Scholars Rescue Fund”, will feature SAR Board member Irv Epstein, SRF

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Senior Research & Program Officer James King and Radwan Ziadeh, a scholar from Syria assisted by SRF and SAR. The session will be held from 3-4:30 pm, and additional information is available at the conference website: http://www.cies2015.org/index.html.

March 20, Oslo, Norway: The next SAR Norway membership meeting will take place at Diakonhjemmet University College, Oslo. It will include presentations by an Iranian SAR scholar of philosophy about the BIHE University and by Erland Nettum from the University of Oslo on admission procedures and other protocols when hosting foreign academics from countries facing internal conflict. SAR scholars in Norway will be invited to the meeting.

March 25-27, New Orleans: SAR Executive Director Rob Quinn will be the plenary speaker at The Forum on Education Abroad’s 11th annual conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. Rob will give his speech, “We Leave our Guns at the Door: The Essential Role of Higher Education,” at 5:30 pm on Wednesday, March 25th, and SAR staff will be present for the entirety of the conference. If you will be attending the conference, please let us know; write to [email protected] to schedule a time to speak with SAR staff.

March 31, Pennsylvania: Through the SAR Speaker Series, a SAR scholar from Zimbabwe will visit Bloomsburg University to share his experiences and expertise with the campus community.

May 28, Boston: Scholars at Risk and Roger Williams University will co-present a poster at the annual conference of NAFSA: Association of International Educators. The poster presentation is entitled “#free2think: Roger Williams University and Scholars at Risk Service-in-Learning Collaborative” and will provide a model for institutions interested in hands-on opportunities for students. The poster will be part of the Connections Between Peace and Justice, Social Responsibility, and International Education fair on Thursday, May 28th, from 10am-12pm. If you will be attending the conference, please let us know; write to [email protected] to schedule a time to speak with SAR staff.

Academic Freedom Monitor

Professor Masaud Mirza Jahromi, Chair of the Telecommunication Engineering Department at Ahlia University in Bahrain, is one of 72 Bahrainis -- reportedly including journalists, activists and doctors -- who were stripped of their citizenship under a recent revision to the country’s citizenship law. The Bahraini government has claimed that its actions were aimed at protecting national security and fighting terrorism; however, the

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only criminal offenses Professor Jahromi has been accused of involved nonviolent expression: participating in a peaceful pro-democracy protest, and signing on to a statement, along with other academics, supporting the call for dialogue between the government and the protesters. To read more about this incident and for other incidents recently reported, please see http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/.

New Resources

Reporters without Border released the 2015 World Press Freedom Index, which ranks 180 countries on a series of indicators including media pluralism and independence, respect for the safety and freedom of journalists, and the legislative, institutional and infrastructural environment in which the media operate. Finland, Norway, and Denmark led the press freedom index, while Turkmenistan, North Korea, and Eritrea fell at the bottom of the list.

New Alerts

 Masaud Jahromi of Bahrain (Computer Science and Engineering): Citizenship revoked; write on Prof. Jahromi’s behalf today

Gifts to SAR in February Ragnhild Øien Guldvog

Please consider making a donation to Scholars at Risk here. Every gift helps us protect more scholars.

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In two and a half years, or 912 days, students around the world will be preparing to head back to school for the 2017-2018 school year. That is when Thai students Pornthip Mankong and Patiwat Saraiyaem will again be allowed walk freely. Their crime? Staging a student performance of a fictional play called The Wolf Bride at Thammasat University in October 2013.

The Wolf Bride is set in a fictional kingdom and features a fictional king and his adviser. The Thai court found that by staging this play Pornthip and Patiwat were guilty of insulting the monarchy under the country's lèse-majesté laws. These laws make it a crime to threaten or insult members of the Thai Royal family, including the king, queen, heir to the throne, or regent. These complaints can be filed by anyone and against anyone.

Pornthip and Patiwat are not the only examples of the danger these overly broad laws pose to academic freedom. Since the National Council for Peace and Order came to power May 2014, Scholars at Risk has received numerous reports of academics being threatened, prosecuted and dismissed due to their academic activities. And it's not just in Thailand--scholars and students many countries are threatened with prosecution and imprisonment under opaque and overbroad blasphemy, lèse- majesté, sedition and defamation laws.

We must let these brave students and scholars know that they are not alone in their fight to be #free2think. The Scholars at Risk Network is mobilizing to help these scholars, but we need your support. Your $25 donation will help us advocate for these scholars and arrange temporary positions of academic sanctuary so that all scholars can continue to be #free2think. Please consider making a donation today. We need you,

Rob Quinn

Executive Director P.S. If you are unable to give at this time, please consider supporting our work by participating in our #free2think campaign! www.scholarsatrisk.org/free2think Follow us:

Academic Freedom Media Review February 28 - March 6, 2015 Compiled by Scholars at Risk

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Theoretical Swimming: Iraqi Student Life Under Religious Rule Gilgamesh Nabeel, Al-Fanar Media, 03/06 As Islamic State militants impose their harsh theological rule on campuses in much of northwestern Iraq, conservative religious forces have also been increasingly holding sway in higher education throughout the rest of the country. The depth of religious influence on Iraqi campuses varies from university to university. But stricter religious- based dress codes, curricula, events and other policies began after the United States invaded Iraq in 2003. Soon after, religious posters often replaced pictures of former dictator Saddam Hussein. In recent years, the religious climate has grown even more strident. Read more.

Myanmar police arrest five student protesters in town near Yangon Soe Zeya Tun, Reuters, 03/06 Police in Myanmar arrested five students on Friday from among a crowd of about 200 protesters locked in a standoff with security forces barring their entry into the commercial hub of Yangon, a Reuters witness said. The arrests follow rising tension between the government and students protesting for months against an education bill. Protesters say the bill curbs academic independence by stifling student unions and putting decisions in the hands of the government rather than universities. Read more.

Scholars At Risk launches at Carleton with panel event Taylor Blewett, The Charlatan, 03/05 Carleton hosted a panel to introduce Scholars At Risk (SAR), an international network dedicated to promoting academic freedom, on March 4. The panel conversation, called “Je Suis Scholar,” brought two scholars supported by the SAR network to speak about their experiences fighting to express their ideas in the face of oppression. Read more.

Vanier College's decision to cancel talk about sex workers upsets teachers, students Karen Siedman, Montreal Gazette, 03/05 Teachers at Vanier College say a decision by the CEGEP administration to cancel a workshop this week about sex workers and a Supreme Court decision “removing barriers to prostitution” is a blow to their academic freedom. Director General Normand Bernier told organizers of the college’s 36th International Women’s Week that the planned workshop was inappropriate, said Darren Becker, director of communications. Read more.

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Scholars condemn Somsak’s dismissal Thai PBS, 03/05 The group who claimed to have support from 238 scholars, writers, and thinkers from 19 countries worldwide called for justice for the historian, and also called on Thammasat University and all universities in Thailand to take an active and leading role in support of academic freedom and freedom of expression in a broad sense. In its statement [found here] which it said will be read at the Human Rights and Everyday Governance in Thailand at Harvard University on March 6, it said “To think differently is not a crime. If one cannot do so within the walls of the university, spaces of learning and the pursuit of truth, then the space to do so outside those walls will dwindle as well.” Read more.

Targeted by crusading Congressman, scientist speaks out on conflicts, climate, and controversy Eli Kintisch, Science, 03/04 Conflicts of interest and disclosure of funding sources have been topics du jour lately in science policy circles. Last month activists opposed to genetically modified food rattled academic scientists working in that field by submitting requests for their correspondence under state open records laws. Then the Union of Concerned Scientists released a report warning that such requests can become vehicles for harassing academic researchers. In Wisconsin, an ongoing effort by the state’s largest public university to shield some research efforts from freedom of information requests has caused controversy. Read more.

Security increased at Kalamazoo College after online threat to 'start systematically executing faculty' Emily Monacelli, M Live, 03/04 Kalamazoo College officials are meeting with students and stepping up security patrols after an anonymous, "anti-Semitic" online posting that included a threat to shoot faculty. K-College officials learned early Wednesday that a "highly inflammatory entry" had been posted in the Student Commission Google Doc, an online collaboration tool that allows for group sharing and anonymous editing, according to an email to the campus community. "The entry is racist, anti-Semitic, sexist and homophobic" and included a direct threat to K-College faculty, the email stated. Read more.

Student Union Elections Canceled in Egyptian Universities Mai Shams El-Din, Al-Fanar Media, 03/03 Students across Egypt are outraged after the Supreme Council of Universities canceled this year’s student union elections for “legal reasons.” Read more.

Class struggle The Economist, 02/28 In the first week of March university students in China will return from a break of six weeks or more. They will find a new chill in the air. While they have been away, officials have been speaking stridently—indeed, in the harshest terms heard in years—about the danger of “harmful Western influences” on campuses, and the need

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to tighten ideological control over students and academic staff. Read more.

Dear friends, Following are the summaries of scholars currently seeking placement assistance. We ask for your help in reviewing the information and encourage you to share it with your institution and other colleagues who may be able to help.

• Iraqi scholar of cardiovascular medicine • Iraqi scholar of neurophysiology • Syrian scholar of analytical chemistry • Cameroonian scholar of political philosophy and human rights More information is available from the SAR network office at [email protected] and +1 212 998-2179. Thank you for your help.

Scholars of the Week

IRAQ-784 Field: Cardiovascular Medicine Risk: Threat to life/person Language: Arabic, English (fluent) Education: PhD

This scholar is a senior medical doctor and professor of cardiovascular medicine. He has a PhD in clinical pharmacology and cardiovascular pharmacology from an Iraqi university, and conducted a post-doctorate fellowship in the United States. He received his DM in internal medicine, his MSc in clinical pharmacology, and his MBChB in medicine from Iraqi universities. A senior academic with two decades of teaching experience, he has taught numerous courses in internal medicine, cardiovascular pharmacology, and clinical pharmacology at universities in Iraq. He has authored and co-authored over 100 articles on pharmacology and internal and cardiovascular medicine in international and regional medical journals, and has also co-authored a book on treatment options for atherosclerosis. This scholar is currently in Iraq and is seeking research and/or teaching opportunities in a safe location beginning immediately.

IRAQ-780 Field: Physiology Risk: Threat to life/person Language: Arabic, English (fluent) Education: PhD

This scholar is a neurophysiologist who received his PhD and MSc in neurophysiology and his MBChB in general surgery and medicine from universities in Iraq. Currently in a leadership post at a medical college in Iraq, he has over 20 years of teaching experience and has supervised numerous MSc and PhD candidates. In addition, he holds a leadership role in an Iraqi medical society, and plays a leading role at the neurophysiology unit of a teaching hospital. This scholar is the editor of a medical science journal, and has coauthored almost 30 academic articles, including most recently an article on gene variation associated with insulin sensitivity. He has also presented his research at dozens of conferences around the world. Currently in Iraq, this scholar seeks teaching and/or research positions in a safe environment beginning immediately.

SYRI-572 Field: Analytical Chemistry Risk: Threat to life/person (displaced) Language: Arabic, French (fluent), English (advanced) Education: PhD (France)

The scholar is a chemist who holds a PhD in analytical chemistry and a Master’s degree in analytical research and development from a university in France. The scholar previously served as an Assistant Professor at a Syrian university where she lectured in analytical chemistry topics such as separation methods, chromatographic techniques, sampling techniques and sample preparation. She also worked as part of a research group in France focusing on extractions of phospholipids from red blood cells and the structural characterization and quantification of phospholipids. A promising researcher, this scholar has been published in several international science journals. This scholar's expertise lies in high performance liquid chromatography and fluorescence spectroscopy, and she is also knowledgeable in techniques such as quasi-elastic light scattering and differential scanning calorimetry. Currently in Canada, this scholar seeks research, teaching and/or post-graduate study opportunities in Canada beginning immediately.

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CAME-537 Field: Political Philosophy; Human Rights Risk: Harassment/intimidation (displaced) Language: French, English (fluent) Education: PhD

This scholar is a professor of political philosophy and a human rights advocate who holds a PhD from a university in Cameroon and has also earned several certificates in human rights related specialties. He has experience lecturing in political philosophy at a university in Cameroon, and has published articles on democracy and human rights in international journals, in addition to writing two books. A committed human rights advocate, this scholar is the president of a nongovernmental human rights organization that works to promote and protect human rights in Cameroon, and is also a member of an initiative that promotes collaboration among advocates for democratic values. This scholar seeks research and/or teaching opportunities in Europe beginning Summer 2015.

• Iraqi scholar of cardiovascular medicine • Chinese scholar of biology • Iraqi scholar of neurophysiology • Pakistani scholar of public policy, South Asian studies, and journalism • Syrian scholar of analytical chemistry • Cameroonian scholar of political philosophy and human rights More information is available from the SAR network office at [email protected] and +1 212 998-2179. Thank you for your help.

Scholars of the Week

IRAQ-784 Field: Cardiovascular Medicine Risk: Threat to life/person Language: Arabic, English (fluent) Education: PhD Seeking: Opportunities beginning immediately to continue teaching and/or research in a safe location CHIN-600 Field: Biology Risk: Threat to life/person (displaced) Language: Mandarin, English (advanced) Education: PhD Seeking: Opportunities beginning immediately to continue teaching and/or research in the United States IRAQ-780 Field: Physiology Risk: Threat to life/person Language: Arabic, English (fluent) Education: PhD Seeking: Opportunities beginning immediately to continue teaching and/or research in a safe location

PAKI-573 Field: Public Policy; South Asian Studies; Journalism Risk: Threat to life/person (displaced) Language: English Education: MSc(UK) [139]

Seeking: Opportunities beginning Fall 2015 to continue research and/or teaching in the United States

SYRI-572

Field: Analytical Chemistry Risk: Threat to life/person (displaced) Language: Arabic, French (fluent), English (advanced) Education: PhD (France) Seeking: Opportunities beginning immediately to continue research, teaching and/or post-graduate study in Canada

CAME-537 Field: Political Philosophy; Human Rights Risk: Harassment/intimidation (displaced) Language: French, English (fluent) Education: PhD Seeking: Opportunities beginning Summer 2015 to continue research and/or teaching in Europe

Scholars at Risk @ The Forum on Education Abroad Sheraton, New Orleans, March 25-27, 2015

Scholars at Risk will be at The Forum on Education Abroad's annual conference in New Orleans, March 25th to 27th. If you, friends at your institution, or friends at other institutions will be there:

 Keynote: SAR Ex. Dir. Rob Quinn will give the opening keynote, "We Leave our Guns at the Door: The Essential of Higher Education," Wednesday, March 25th from 5:30-6:30 PM.  Exhibition: SAR will be at Table 45 in the exhibition on Wednesday and Thursday (just to the left after the main entrance). Stop by to speak with Rob and SAR staff (and take a photo with our new #free2think banner!).  Private meetings: Email [email protected] to set up a meeting on the 25th, 26th, or 27th.  Tell friends: Tell friends and colleagues attending to come to the keynote and visit Table 45.

See you in New Orleans!

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Scholars at Risk calls for letters on behalf of imprisoned Iranian scholar in need of medical attention March 12, 2015

Scholars at Risk is gravely concerned over reports that Mr. Hamid Babaei, a doctoral student of finance who is currently imprisoned in Iran, is suffering ill health and has not received proper medical attention.

SAR calls for letters, emails, and faxes respectfully urging authorities to reconsider any convictions related to this scholar's academic activities and to ensure Mr. Babaei’s well-being and access to medical attention while in custody, in accordance with international human rights standards.

Click here to share your concern with the Supreme Leader of Iran and other authorities

Further information:

Mr. Babaei holds a master’s degree in industrial engineering from Iran University of Science and Technology and was previously undertaking doctoral studies in finance at the University of Liege in Belgium. Scholars at Risk understands that Mr. Babaei was arrested in August 2013 after attempting to return to Belgium from a summer visit to Iran. Reports indicate that after four months in detention, including three weeks of solitary confinement, Mr. Babaei was sentenced on December 21, 2013 to six years in prison for allegedly acting against national security by communicating with a hostile government. It is reported that the sole evidence for this charge is the scholarship funding which Mr. Babaei received from the University of Liege as a graduate student, and that Mr. Babaei had been unsuccessfully pressured to make a false confession. Mr. Babaei has repeatedly denied the charges against him.

Scholars at Risk understands that while in prison, Mr. Babaei has suffered from escalating health problems since November 2014, and is currently in need of urgent medical attention. We also understand that Mr. Babaei was transferred from Evin Prison to Rajaei Shahr Prison on February 17, 2015, where he has since been kept in solitary confinement. His family has not been able to visit him and fears greatly for his safety and well-being given his recent ill health.

Scholars at Risk welcomes any additional information which may explain these events or clarify our understanding. Absent these, the arrest, prolonged detention, and conviction of Mr. Babaei without substantial evidence, together with his recent transfer to solitary confinement and lack of medical care, suggest a troubling disregard for international standards of due process, fair trial and detention, as guaranteed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is signatory.

Scholars at Risk therefore invites letters, emails and faxes be sent to the appropriate authorities, respectfully urging:

- that the authorities ensure Mr. Babaei’s well-being while in custody, including ensuring regular access to legal counsel of his choosing, regular visits with his family, and immediate and ongoing medical attention

- that Mr. Babaei receives a fair opportunity to appeal his sentence before an impartial tribunal and that any charges or convictions related to his academic activities are lifted, and

- that in the interim, his case is addressed in a manner consistent with internationally recognized standards of due process, fair trial and detention, in accordance with Iran’s obligations under international law.

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Academic Freedom Media Review March 7 - 13, 2015 Compiled by Scholars at Risk

Wanting More Say Colleen Flaherty, Inside Higher Ed, 03/13 Do most presidents really want a bigger role in faculty hiring and tenure decisions? Inside Higher Ed’s annual Survey of College and University Presidents suggests they do. And some of them are playing a larger role than faculty leaders might find reasonable. Ten percent of private college presidents, for example, say they've blocked the hire of scholars whose views they strongly disagreed with. While those findings didn't shock shared governance experts, some were uncomfortable with presidential sentiments. Read more.

Is Hong Kong’s academic freedom under Chinese attack? Simon Denyer, The Washington Post, 03/13 Scholars in Hong Kong are growing concerned that the territory’s cherished academic freedom is coming under renewed attack from China in the aftermath of last year’s student- led pro-democracy protests. Attacks in Communist Party-backed newspapers on a leading liberal professor, reports of government interference in academic appointments and renewed calls for “patriotic education” to be introduced into schools have stirred up emotions in the former British colony. Read more.

Corporatisation ‘threatens academic freedom’– AAUP Mary Beth Marklein, University World News, 03/13 Higher education’s “romance with entrepreneurialism” puts the hallowed principle of academic freedom at risk at universities around the world, general counsel for the American Association of University Professors, or AAUP, told comparative education researchers on Thursday. And while there's plenty of blame to go around for that, she said, faculty members themselves share some of it. Read more.

Flag ban vote: UC Irvine faculty, students push back Emily Foxhall, Los Angeles Times, 03/12 Students and faculty at UC Irvine are beginning to push back against the angry condemnation of six university students who created a national stir last week when they voted to remove the U.S. flag from a lounge. A petition signed by professors and students alike said the aggressive and sometimes shrill response to the students embodies the exact aspects of nationalism the six had hoped to eliminate with the no-flag vote -- racism, xenophobia and intimidation. Read more. [142]

Death is This Week’s Headline in Egyptian Education Mai Shams El-Din, Al-Fanar Media, 03/12 Egyptians woke up to a series of headlines detailing violent student deaths this week, with one university student and two schoolchildren dead by Thursday. On Monday, German University in Cairo (GUC) engineering student Yara Negm died in the campus parking lot after a school bus backed up and pinned her against another bus, crushing her to death before an ambulance arrived at the scene. Read more.

Burma Takes a Big Step Backwards Moe Zin, Foreign Policy, 03/12 Earlier this week, the Burmese authorities staged a violent crackdown on unarmed student protesters and their supporters, arresting at least 127 and seriously injuring dozens of others. The latest violence took place after a week-long standoff between students and police in the town of Letpadan, 90 miles north of Rangoon, Burma’s largest city. It was the second such incident within the space of just a few days. On March 5, pro-government plainclothes thugs charged protesters in Rangoon itself. Burmese civil society groups and international watchdogs are decrying the violence. The U.S. State Department has also condemned the crackdown. Read more.

Who’s Afraid of Academic Freedom?, edited by Akeel Bilgrami and Jonathan R. Cole Miriam E. David, Times Higher Education, 03/12 In the febrile atmosphere after January’s terrorist attacks in Paris in which 17 people including cartoonists, journalists, police officers and the Jewish customers of a kosher supermarket were killed, followed by further deadly violence in Copenhagen in February, the debate over freedom of speech has become ever more heated. This edited volume could contribute greatly to that debate, dealing as it does with questions of academic freedom in colleges and universities in the US in light of wider political and legal debates about freedom of expression. Read more.

Arab Classrooms Frequently Ignore History Benjamin Plackett, Al-Fanar Media, 03/10 The history textbooks in Lebanon haven’t changed in some important ways since the 1950s. The country’s different political factions continue to fight over who gets to write the history of what happened in Lebanon after independence from the French. While old bomb shelters from the country’s fifteen-year civil war have been repurposed into nightclubs, the wounds from that time have not have healed enough to let the conflict’s story into the nation’s textbooks. Read more.

Academic freedom no more in Turkey Abdullah Bozkurt, Today’s Zaman, 03/09 The authoritarian regime of Turkey's chief political Islamist, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has significantly curtailed the autonomy of institutions of higher learning such as academies and universities, dealing a deadly blow to academic freedom, independent thinking, critical research and free artistic expression, which are fundamental to ensure free, democratic and pluralistic societies. Read more.

Violations, activities decreased in second academic semester: AFTE Mahmoud Mostafa, Daily News Egypt, 03/09 The Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE) issued Sunday its periodical report on violations against university students in Egypt, highlighting a decrease in violations and in student [143]

activities. The report focuses on the first month of this academic year’s second semester. It cited cases of storming student houses from Ain Shams, Al-Azhar, Fayoum and Port Said universities by the the police forces, in addition to mass arrests from different universities. Read more.

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Dear friends,

• Iraqi junior scholar of archaeology and anthropology • Iraqi scholar of archaeology • Iraqi scholar of public health • Congolese scholar of law and human rights • Iranian scholar of gender studies and human resources management

More information is available from the SAR network office at [email protected] and +1 212 998- 2179. Thank you for your help.

Scholars of the Week IRAQ-771

Field: Archaeology; Anthropology Risk: Threat to life/person Language: Arabic, English (fluent) Education: MA (US)

This promising junior scholar is an archaeologist with several years of experience as a university lecturer and field researcher. He received his MA in anthropology from an American university and his BA in archaeology from an Iraqi university. He has participated in several training programs and workshops organized by the US Embassy in Iraq, and has conducted field research in Yemen, Iraq, Colorado, and Nevada. He was previously a lecturer at a university in Iraq, where he also held leadership positions. He is a promising researcher with three published academic articles and three articles in preparation for publication. His research interests include Paleoanthropology, Paleolithic archaeology, lithic (stone tool) analysis, and Southwest Asia. Currently in Iraq, this scholar seeks research, teaching, and/or study opportunities in a safe location beginning immediately.

IRAQ-785

Field: Archaeology Risk: Loss of position/General situational risk Language: Arabic, English (advanced) Education: PhD

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Mesopotamian arts and architecture. A promising researcher and author, she has authored several articles on ancient Mesopotamian furniture and art, including analyses of Assyrian thrones and cylinder seals, and has published a book on ancient furniture from the Neo-Assyrian period. Most recently, this scholar has conducted an analysis of cylinder seals from an ancient archaeological site that she is hoping to publish. Currently in Iraq, this scholar is seeking research and/or teaching opportunities in a safe location beginning immediately.

IRAQ-011

Field: Public Health Risk: Threat to life/person Language: Arabic, English (fluent) Education: PhD

This scholar is a senior academic and a professor of public health with a specialty in community medicine. He has a PhD in public health from a university in Iraq and an MSc in epidemiology and biostatistics from a university in Lebanon. This scholar is an accomplished professor with over 20 years of teaching experience, and has delivered courses on epidemiology, biostatistics, and community medicine at several universities and institutions in Iraq. He has published his research in public health journals regionally and internationally. His recent research has included studies of tobacco use, physical activity levels, cancer prevalence, intimate partner violence, and workplace noise as they relate to public health in Iraq and regionally. Currently in Iraq, this scholar is seeking research and/or teaching opportunities in the United States or Europe beginning immediately.

DRCO-564

Field: Law; Human Rights Risk: Threat of arrest/violence (displaced) Language: Swahili, French (fluent), Lingala, English (intermediate) Education: LLM

Previously a professor in the law faculty at a university in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), this scholar holds a LLM and LLB equivalents from the same university. He has taught courses on civil law, civil responsibility and judgment, and has supervised the theses of bachelor and master’s students. In addition to his academic experience, the scholar is a practicing lawyer and human rights defender who worked as an attorney for a university and on a court of appeals. His human rights work has included research on workers’ rights, land rights, sexual violence, mass rape, justice in the DRC, forced marriages and the illegal exploitation of mines. In addition to comparative adoption law, his current research interests include land rights and questions of equality in African legislation. This scholar seeks opportunities to continue his research, teaching, and/or graduate studies in a safe location beginning Summer 2015.

IRAN-629

Field: Gender Studies, Human Resource Management

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Risk: Threat to life/person (displaced) Language: Farsi, English (fluent), Hindi (intermediate) Education: PhD (India)

This scholar holds a PhD in human resource management from a university in India and has researched and published extensively in the field of gender studies. Her academic work has focused on gender discrimination and employment in Iran, her articles on which have been published in Asian management and research journals. She previously taught courses on human resource management and organizational behavior as an Assistant Professor at a university in Iran. She also worked for five years as a human resource manager in the private sector. Currently a visiting professor at a university in the United States, she is co-writing a university textbook and working on several articles on gender in the workplace. This scholar seeks teaching and/or research opportunities in a safe location beginning Fall 2015.

• Iraqi junior scholar of archaeology and anthropology • Iraqi scholar of archaeology • Iraqi scholar of public health • Iraqi scholar of English and American literature • Congolese scholar of law and human rights • Iranian scholar of gender studies and human resources management More information is available from the SAR network office at [email protected] and +1 212 998-2179. Thank you for your help.

Scholars of the Week

IRAQ-771 Field: Archaeology; Anthropology Risk: Threat to life/person Language: Arabic, English (fluent) Education: MA (US) Seeking: Opportunities beginning immediately to continue teaching, research and/or graduate studies in a safe location IRAQ-785 Field: Archaeology Risk: Loss of position/General situational risk Language: Arabic, English (advanced) Education: PhD Seeking: Opportunities beginning immediately to continue teaching and/or research in a safe location

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IRAQ-011 Field: Public Health Risk: Threat to life/person Language: Arabic, English (fluent) Education: PhD Seeking: Opportunities beginning immediately to continue teaching and/or research in the United States or Europe

IRAQ-786 Field: English and American Literature Risk: Harassment/Intimidation Language: Arabic, English (fluent) Education: PhD Seeking: Opportunities beginning immediately to continue research and/or teaching in the United States

DRCO-564 Field: Law; Human Rights Risk: Threat of arrest/violence (displaced) Language: Swahili, French (fluent), Lingala, English (intermediate) Education: LLM Seeking: Opportunities beginning Summer 2015 to continue research, teaching and/or graduate studies in a safe location

IRAN-629 Field: Gender Studies, Human Resource Management Risk: Threat to life/person (displaced) Language: Farsi, English (fluent), Hindi (intermediate) Education: PhD (India) Seeking: Opportunities beginning Fall 2015 to continue research and/or teaching in a safe location

Academic Freedom Media Review March 21 - 27, 2015 Compiled by Scholars at Risk

Guilt by Association Colleen Flaherty, Inside Higher Ed, 03/27 Most medical researchers have a mantra about relationships with industry, financial and otherwise: disclose, disclose, disclose. It’s a position with which most

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professors (and journal editors) in other fields -- even those without life-and-death implications -- agree. But should colleges and universities be held to the same standard, and just how much disclosure is enough? Read more.

China raids NGO offices in latest sign of crackdown on dissent William Wan, The Washington Post, 03/27 Chinese police raided a high-profile nongovernmental organization this week, taking its computers and financial documents, the group said, the latest action in a growing government crackdown on dissent. About 20 men dressed in police uniforms and claiming to be representatives of a Beijing police bureau barged into the offices of the Beijing Yirenping Center early Tuesday morning, members of the anti-discrimination group said. Read more.

Myanmar upper house approves student unions Nay Pyi Taw, Agence France-Presse, 03/26 Proposals to allow Myanmar students to form unions for the first time in decades passed their first parliamentary hurdle Thursday in amendments to an education bill that has sparked protests which saw dozens of activists arrested. The move comes a day after more than 60 campaigners, detained during a violent police crackdown on their protest in early March, appeared at a court in the central town of Letpadan facing charges that could see them jailed for nearly a decade. Read more.

Rights to Scholarly Work Colleen Flaherty, Inside Higher Ed, 03/26 For many years, Ohio State University -- like lots of peer institutions -- had an understanding with its faculty: the institution might claim intellectual property rights to innovations, inventions and patentable research, but scholarly works belonged to professors alone. Now a new draft intellectual property policy is threatening that agreement in the eyes of some faculty members. Ohio State says the policy is preliminary and the final document will result in no new limits on faculty property rights. But the ongoing debate and others like it elsewhere in recent years have implications for defining scholarly work in the digital age and for just how much of an academic’s work -- digital or not -- his or her institution can claim to own. Read more.

Thai junta targets dissent with visits to student activist homes Amy Sawitta LeFevre, Reuters, 03/26 Plainclothes police and military officers have visited the homes of at least 20 student protesters across Thailand in the past week, activists said, in the toughest response to dissent since the days after last year's coup that ushered in army rule. Amid signs of simmering dissatisfaction with the leadership of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who seized power in May, the military junta appears to be running out of patience. Read more.

The Palestinian academy: pressing concerns and future prospects Matthew Reisz, Times Higher Education, 03/26

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The meeting with a group of academics from Bethlehem University had been scheduled to take place on campus, but the mood was tense. It was the day after Palestinian minister Ziad Abu Ain had died after an Israeli soldier fired tear gas during a protest. Describing this as a “barbaric act”, President Mahmoud Abbas had threatened to withdraw security cooperation with the Israelis. In the circumstances, the British Council, which organised Times Higher Education’s visit and transport, judged that it might not be prudent to arrive on campus in a conspicuous armoured car with diplomatic plates, so the meeting took place in a restaurant. By the end of lunch, a group of young men could be seen down the road throwing rocks against the nearby separation wall. Read more.

Academic Freedom or Secrecy? Colleen Flaherty, Inside Higher Ed, 03/24 The University of Delaware is refusing to fulfill a congressman's request that it release information about who is funding a prominent climate change skeptic’s research. The university is the first of seven institutions facing similar requests to publicly deny them, citing concerns about academic freedom. Delaware’s refusal raises important questions about the line between protecting free inquiry and preserving research integrity, and signals a reversal of sorts from an earlier position on controversial research funding. And not everyone agrees that academic freedom covers a decision to keep funding sources secret. Read more.

Yemen: Attacks on Journalists Escalate Human Rights Watch, 03/23 Houthi forces and others in Yemen have committed a spate of attacks and other abuses against the media amid deteriorating political and security conditions. In recent weeks, there has been an increase in arbitrary arrests and violence against journalists and other media workers by Ansar Allah, the Zaidi Shia armed group known as the Houthis that now controls the capital, Sanaa. Armed Ansar Allah militia has stormed the headquarters of three media outlets since January 2015. Other groups may also be involved in attacks. On March 18, unidentified gunmen killed Abdul Karim Mohammed al-Khaiwani, an Ansar Allah supporter and critic of the former government, near his home in Sanaa. Read more.

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New Members

 Konstfack University College of Arts, Crafts and Design, Sweden  The Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study joined Scholars at Risk as a part of the UAF-SAR Netherlands Network.

New Sustaining Members

 Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA  Stanford University, Palo Alto, USA

New Hosts

 An Iranian scholar was offered a one-year position as an Associate Professor at the University of Agder in Norway.  An Eritrean scholar received an extension of his position at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim (NTNU) through summer 2016.

Events

April 9, New York City, New York: The New School, a SAR member institution, will celebrate the 80th anniversary of Social Research: An International Quarterly. The journal has been continuously published since its founding by the original faculty members of the University in Exile at the New School for Social Research, and by Alvin Johnson, the New School’s first president, who was responsible for the rescue from Germany and elsewhere in fascist Europe of those and so many other scholars. The celebration, “Germany-U.S. Relations, and Ukraine and Authoritarianism in Russia," will include a conversation between Peter Wittig, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United States, and Michael Ignatieff, Edward R. Murrow Professor of Practice at Harvard Kennedy School. The event will take place at the New School auditorium from 6:00-7:30 pm.

April 21, Bristol, Rhode Island: SAR Executive Director Rob Quinn will give the keynote address at the Roger Williams University Student Academic Showcase at 3:00 pm in the Global Heritage Hall Atrium.

May 3, UK and Australia: CARA, SAR’s partner in the UK, is running a student art competition in the UK and Australia to raise awareness of on-going violations of

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academic freedom and to engage a new generation of academic freedom/ human rights defenders. Cash prizes are available, and shortlisted entries will be auctioned to raise funds for the CARA Fellowship Programme. The deadline for 'The Art of Resistance: Defending Academic Freedom' submissions is May 3, and more information can be found here.

May 5-6, Vilnius, Lithuania: SAR Program Assistant Margaret Coons will present on ethics in international partnerships at the annual Network of Universities from the Capitals of Europe (UNICA) International Relations Officer meeting. If you will be attending the meeting or are based in Vilnius, please let us know; write to [email protected] to schedule a time to speak with SAR staff.

May 25-29, Boston, Massachusetts: Scholars at Risk and Roger Williams University will co-present a poster at the annual conference of NAFSA: Association of International Educators. The poster presentation is entitled “#free2think: Roger Williams University and Scholars at Risk Service-in-Learning Collaborative” and will provide a model for institutions interested in hands-on opportunities for students. The poster will be part of the Connections Between Peace and Justice, Social Responsibility, and International Education fair on Thursday, May 28th, from 10am-12pm. If you will be attending the conference, please let us know; write to [email protected] to schedule a time to speak with SAR staff.

June 1, London, UK: SAR Executive Director Rob Quinn will participate in on a panel entitled “Can universities go global without losing their values?” at the British Council’s 2015 Going Global conference. The panel, which is hosted by the Chronicle of Higher Education, will take place at 4:45 pm at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre.

June 3-5, Geneva, Switzerland: SAR will hold a Faculty/Researcher Development Workshop to introduce representatives of SAR member institutions, sections and partner networks to SAR academic freedom research and advocacy projects, for the purpose of involving their home institutions, sections and networks in one or more activities over the coming academic year. If you are interested in attending or nominating someone from your institution to attend, please contact [email protected].

June 30, London, UK: CARA, SAR’s partner in the UK, will hold its Allocation Committee Meeting to make final decisions on grant application funding. The CARA UK Programme received 89 applications for support before the deadline expired on March 27. All applications will now be reviewed, with long-listed applicants being called for interview in the coming months. The next Allocation Committee Meeting will be in 2016. To request an enquiry form or further information, please contact [email protected].

Members in the Media Carleton University and University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Carleton University and the University of Ottawa jointly celebrated the launch of the Scholars at Risk

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program on their campuses with a kickoff event, ‘Je Suis Scholar,’ featuring talks by two SAR scholars. Carleton and the University of Ottawa will co-host a scholar, whose appointment will be announced in the spring of 2015. Prof. Melanie Adrian, Chair of the SAR committee at Carleton University, was interviewed about this initiative on CBC’s Ottawa Morning.

Roger Williams University, Bristol, Rhode Island: Students participating in the SAR Advocacy Seminar taught by Adam Braver at Roger William University were interviewed by Rhode Island NPR on their work with Jewher Ilham, the 20-year-old daughter of Scholar-in-Prison Ilham Tohti. Academic Freedom Monitor

Since January, a group of roughly 200 student protesters have been marching from Mandalay to Yangon, demonstrating against the education law passed by Myanmar in September 2014, which the students allege curbs academic freedom by banning student unions, ignoring calls for classes to be taught in local ethnic languages and giving decision making authority over education policy and curriculum to a body consisting largely of government ministers. The march was stopped during the week of February 28 so that students could negotiate with government authorities. The students, who were camped in a monastery in Letpadan, about 90 miles north of Yangon, sought to begin their march again, but the police attempted to prevent them by reportedly charging, kicking and beating protesters with batons. Between March 2 and March 10, police arrested a total of 127 of the protesters, reportedly including 52 male students, 13 female students, and 62 villagers. Sixteen police and eight protesters were reportedly injured in the clashes. To read more about this incident and for other incidents recently reported, please see http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/.

New Resources

Amnesty International released its 2014/2015 Annual Report on the state of human rights in 160 countries and territories during 2014. The report details both violent conflict and government failure to safeguard rights witnessed in 2014 along with significant progress made in the defense of human rights worldwide. In addition to the 423 page report, Amnesty has compiled an introduction video and featured 18 events, 5 faces, and 5 success stories on the report website.

The AAAS Science and Human Rights Coalition, a SAR affiliate member, and the AAAS Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights and Law Program released their report on the social responsibilities of scientists, engineers and health professionals. This pilot

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study found that most scientists feel a sense of responsibility to society, but their priorities vary. Read a summary of the report’s major findings or the full report.

The AAAS Education and Information Resources working group updated “Human Rights 101: A Brief College-Level Overview,” written by AAAS Science and Human Rights Coalition member Sam McFarland. The paper was developed for use as an assigned reading in college courses of any discipline.

New Alerts

 Hamid Babaei of Iran (Finance): Imprisoned; ongoing health concerns; write on Mr. Babaei's behalf today

New Global Sponsors

Global Sponsorships provide regular membership waivers or reductions for higher education institutions in countries in crisis or otherwise unable to meet the regular subscription.

 University of Agder, Norway

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Dear friends,

• Iranian scholar of biotechnology • Syrian scholar of business • Syrian scholar of economics • Iraqi scholar of archaeology

More information is available from the SAR network office at [email protected] and +1 212 998-2179. Thank you for your help.

Scholars of the Week

IRAN-665

Field: Biotechnology Risk: Threat of arrest (Displaced) Language: Persian; English (Fluent) Education: PhD (Ukraine)

This scholar holds a PhD in biotechnology from a university in Ukraine and has specialized expertise in the medical applications of probiotics. Initially trained as a veterinarian, he received his doctorate in veterinary medicine from an Iranian university in 1997, and ran his own clinic for four years. After receiving his PhD in 2005, he returned to Iran and combined his veterinary and biotechnology knowledge to research the cultivation of probiotics found in fish for the treatment of colon cancer. This scholar has taught courses in biochemistry, immunology, microbiology, and research methodology at a university in Iran, where he later developed and served as head of the nano-biotechnology lab. Most recently, the scholar was a visiting researcher at a university in the UK, where he conducted research on cellular pathology and supervised graduate students. Currently in the UK, the scholar is seeking research and/or teaching opportunities in Europe or North America beginning immediately.

SYRI-569

Field: Business Management; Information Systems Risk: Threat to life/person (Displaced)

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Language: Arabic; English (Intermediate); Hindi (Intermediate) Education: PhD (India)

This promising junior scholar holds a PhD in business management from a university in India, where his dissertation focused on a comparative study of e- learning between India and Syria. He also holds an M.B.A. and a Master’s in computer application from universities in India, and a BS in mathematics from a Syrian university. The scholar has several years of experience teaching courses on information technology, web design, programming, computer instruction, and mathematics at the university and high school level. He has specialized database knowledge including Microsoft Access, Oracle, and Mysql, and in programming languages such as C, C++, Java, and Visual Basic. Currently displaced in Lebanon, the scholar has continued his commitment to further his education by taking available courses in humanitarian aid and English. He also volunteers with an international NGO and tutors students in mathematics online. This scholar is seeking research opportunities in a safe location beginning immediately.

SYRI-586

Field: Economics Risk: Threat to life/person Language: Arabic; Russian (Fluent); English (Advanced) Education: PhD (Russia)

This scholar holds a PhD in economics from a university in Russia, where his dissertation focused on ways to reduce the cost of production through the assortment of goods. For the past six years, he has taught at universities in Syria, including courses on microeconomics, macroeconomics, foreign trade, management of small and medium enterprises, and production management. He has published several research articles in both Russian and English on topics such as the effect of the shadow economy in Syria and the transition to a market economy. In addition to his academic experience, this scholar worked for several years as a high-level advisor at a foreign trade organization, conducting feasibility studies of commercial transactions and analyzing global market competition. Currently in Syria, this scholar is seeking teaching and/or research positions in a safe location beginning immediately.

IRAQ-785

Field: Archaeology Risk: Loss of position/General situational risk Language: Arabic; English (Advanced)

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Education: PhD

This scholar is a professor of archaeology with a specialization in ancient cylinder seals. She has a PhD, an MA and a BA in archaeology from universities in Iraq. Her PhD dissertation analyzed inscriptions and iconography of an ancient monument from the Neo-Assyrian Empire. A talented professor with six years of teaching experience, she has taught courses in ancient Greek, Roman, and Mesopotamian arts and architecture. A promising researcher and author, she has authored several articles on ancient Mesopotamian furniture and art, including analyses of Assyrian thrones and cylinder seals, and has published a book on ancient furniture from the Neo-Assyrian period. Most recently, this scholar has conducted an analysis of cylinder seals from an ancient archaeological site that she is hoping to publish. Currently in Iraq, this scholar is seeking research and/or teaching opportunities in a safe location beginning immediately.

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April 20, 2015

Dear SAR Primary Representatives,

Knowing that you are busy people who get far too many e-mails, SAR will now be sending you only one weekly e-mail with information specifically for primary representatives. We are so grateful for the time and effort you put into representing SAR at your institution, and we welcome any feedback as to how we can better support you.

Best regards,

Margaret Coons Membership & University Relations

Contents

 Announcements  Opportunities  Scholars of the Week  Upcoming Events  Academic Freedom Media Review Announcements

 The University of Pretoria is the newest member of the SAR network. Welcome!  SAR has launched a social media campaign to improve our online presence and visibility. If you have not already, please click the buttons below to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (make sure to click "like" and "follow" on the pages). We are almost to 1000 likes on Facebook, and the 1000th person will be receiving a SAR #free2think mousepad! We would also like to publicize the good work you're doing, so feel free to tag us or tweet at us and we'll be sure to share your institution's SAR-related news.

Opportunities

 SAR Faculty/Researcher Development Workshop: There are still a few places available in the workshop, scheduled to take place in Geneva Switzerland on June 3-5. If you or your colleagues are interested in participating, please contact [email protected] as soon as possible. In particular, we are seeking more

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participation from the global South. Scholars of the Week

 Pakistani scholar of human rights and development  Eritrean scholar of mathematics and higher education  Pakistani scholar of English literature and gender studies  Iraqi scholar of cardiovascular medicine  Iraqi scholar of physiology

More information is available from the SAR network office at [email protected] and +1 212 998 2179. Thank you for your help.

PAKI-558

Field: Human Rights; Development Economics Risk: Harassment/Intimidation (Displaced) Language: English, Urdu (Fluent) Education: MS (US), MA

This scholar is a highly-experienced human rights defender and economic development professional whose work focuses on poverty alleviation, human development, and inclusive development approaches. Currently teaching at a university in the Netherlands, he has previously taught undergraduate and graduate level courses at six prominent universities in Pakistan and the United States and contributed to the development of several Master's-level courses at US and Pakistani universities. This scholar is also the director of a prominent economic and human development NGO in Pakistan and worked as a UN consultant and policy adviser. Over the last two decades, he has published over 35 articles on human rights, international relations and foreign policy, and justice and peace issues in Pakistan in both Pakistani and international journals. Currently in the Netherlands, this scholar is seeking opportunities to continue his research and writing in a safe location beginning immediately.

ERIT-529

Field: Mathematics; Higher Education Risk: Risk of Imprisonment/ Discrimination (Displaced) Language: Tigrigna, English (Fluent), Dutch (Basic) Education: PhD (The Netherlands)

This scholar has over two decades of experience teaching mathematics at higher education institutions in Eritrea and Ethiopia, and has held several university leadership positions. He holds a PhD in applied statistics from a university in the Netherlands, where he specialized in measurement and evaluation. He also holds an MS and a BS in mathematics from universities in Ethiopia. Courses that he has taught include algebra, calculus, quantitative methods, and geometry. This scholar has published multiple academic articles and books in the field of mathematics. His current research interests include performance indicators of university students and the management of academic staff and students at higher education institutions in Eritrea. He is seeking research opportunities in a safe location beginning immediately.

PAKI-562

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Field: English Literature; Gender Studies Risk: Threat to Life; Loss of Position (Displaced) Language: Urdu, English (Fluent) Education: PhD (UK)

An established academic in the field of English literature and gender studies, this scholar holds a PhD and MSc in linguistics from a university in the UK, where her dissertation focused on women’s literacy in Pakistan. She has more than 25 years of experience lecturing and conducting research at Pakistani, US and European universities. This scholar held a high-level position at a university in Pakistan where she supervised multiple MPhil and PhD dissertations. This scholar has also published widely, editing multiple books and contributing to Pakistani and international journals on a range of issues relating to new literacies, representation of gender, and media texts and education. This scholar is seeking research and/or teaching opportunities in a safe location beginning Fall 2015.

IRAQ-784

Field: Cardiovascular Medicine Risk: Threat to life/person Language: Arabic, English (Fluent) Education: PhD

IRAQ-780

Field: Physiology Risk: Threat to life/person Language: Arabic, English (Fluent) Education: PhD

Upcoming Events

 May 5-6, Vilnius, Lithuania: SAR Program Assistant Margaret Coons will present on ethics in international partnerships at the annual Network of Universities from the Capitals of Europe (UNICA) International Relations Officer meeting.  May 25-29, Boston, Massachusetts: Scholars at Risk and Roger Williams University will co-present a poster at the annual conference of NAFSA: Association of International Educators. The poster presentation is entitled “#free2think: Roger Williams University and Scholars at Risk Service-in-Learning Collaborative” and

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will provide a model for institutions interested in hands-on opportunities for students. The poster will be part of the Connections Between Peace and Justice, Social Responsibility, and International Education fair on Thursday, May 28th, from 10am-12pm.  June 1, London, UK: SAR Executive Director Rob Quinn will participate in on a panel entitled “Can universities go global without losing their values?” at the British Council’s 2015 Going Global conference. The panel, which is hosted by the Chronicle of Higher Education, will take place at 4:45 pm at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre.  June 3-5, Geneva, Switzerland: SAR will hold a Faculty/Researcher Development Workshop to introduce representatives of SAR member institutions, sections and partner networks to SAR academic freedom research and advocacy projects, for the purpose of involving their home institutions, sections and networks in one or more activities over the coming academic year. Academic Freedom Media Review

Each week, SAR compiles articles pertaining to academic freedom and higher education communities worldwide. The most read Media Review articles this week were:

 The New Thought Police Joan W. Scott, The Nation, 04/15 In August 2014, Steven Salaita was scheduled to take up a position as a tenured associate professor in the American Indian and Indigenous Studies program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Salaita had resigned his job at Virginia Tech, where he had tenure, and ordered books and submitted syllabuses for his new courses at UIUC. He had every reason to believe his future was secure. Although his appointment was contingent on a final approval by the board of trustees, which would meet two weeks after the school year began, Salaita had been assured that this was merely a formality. It wasn’t: The board refused to ratify his appointment. Read more.  What Happened to Freedom of Speech? Jonathan Zimmerman, Inside Higher Ed, 04/13 Last week, the University of South Carolina suspended a student for writing the n-word on a whiteboard in a campus study room. The university president explained that the student had violated the Carolinian Creed, which bars “racist and uncivil rhetoric.” Read more.  DR Congo: Release 7 Detained Democracy Activists Human Rights Watch, 04/15 Democratic Republic of Congo authorities should immediately release seven peaceful activists who have been wrongfully detained, some since March 15, 2015. Security forces in the eastern city of Goma beat and otherwise mistreated demonstrators protesting government repression, including with water torture. Read more.

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Contents

 Announcements  Opportunities  Scholars of the Week  Upcoming Events  Academic Freedom Media Review Announcements

 #HonorGarissa Moment of Silence: To honor those killed in and affected by the April 2 attack on Garissa University College and attacks on universities and university values around the world, the European University Association (EUA) is holding a minute of silence today. EUA and Scholars at Risk invite and encourage all our members to join in this observance, whether at 12:00 CET, 12:00 EDT, or another time conducive to your location. Read the full press release. Read the SAR Academic Freedom Monitoring Project report on the April 2 attack.

 SAR has launched a social media campaign to improve our online presence and visibility. If you have not already, please click the buttons below to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (make sure to click "like" and "follow" on the pages). We are almost to 1000 likes on Facebook, and the 1000th person will be receiving a SAR #free2think mousepad! We would also like to publicize the good work you're doing, so feel free to tag us or tweet at us and we'll be sure to share your institution's SAR-related news.

Opportunities

 We'd love to hear from you! Let us know what you think of the new weekly email format and if there's anything you'd like to see in this newsletter that isn't currently included. Please e-mail [email protected] with your feedback. Scholars of the Week

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 Iraqi scholar of English literature  Cameroonian scholar of political philosophy and human rights  Congolese scholar of law and human rights

More information is available from the SAR network office at [email protected] and +1 212 998 2179. Thank you for your help.

IRAQ-743

Field: English Literature Risk: Threat of re-arrest/violence (Displaced) Language: English, Arabic (Fluent) Education: PhD (UK - ABD)

This scholar is completing his PhD in English literature at a university in the UK, where his thesis focuses on how human rights translate in modern English and Arabic poetry. He holds an MA in English literature from a university in Iraq. The scholar taught English literature courses at several universities in Iraq and at a university in Syria, including courses in Renaissance drama, theoretical criticism, Victorian poetry and Shakespearean drama. He also holds a Certificate of Human Rights from a university in the UK, and contributes to a human rights project based at the university. Currently in the UK, this scholar seeks opportunities to continue his research and teaching in a safe location beginning Summer 2015.

CAME-537

Field: Political Philosophy; Human Rights Risk: Harassment/intimidation (Displaced) Language: French, English (Fluent) Education: PhD

This scholar is a professor of political philosophy and a human rights advocate who holds a PhD from a university in Cameroon and has also earned several certificates in human rights-related specialties. He has experience lecturing in political philosophy at a university in Cameroon, and has published articles on democracy and human rights in international journals, in addition to writing two books. A committed human rights advocate, this scholar is the president of a nongovernmental human rights organization that works to promote and protect human rights in Cameroon, and is also a member of an initiative that promotes collaboration among advocates for democratic values. This scholar seeks research and/or teaching opportunities in Europe beginning Summer 2015.

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DRCO-564

Field: Law; Human Rights Risk: Threat of arrest/violence (Displaced) Language: Swahili, French (Fluent), Lingala, English (Intermediate) Education: LLM

Previously a professor in the law faculty at a university in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), this scholar holds a LLM and LLB equivalents from the same university. He has taught courses on civil law, civil responsibility and judgment, and has supervised the theses of bachelor and master’s students. In addition to his academic experience, the scholar is a practicing lawyer and human rights defender who worked as an attorney for a university and on a court of appeals. His human rights work has included research on workers’ rights, land rights, sexual violence, mass rape, justice in the DRC, forced marriages and the illegal exploitation of mines. In addition to comparative adoption law, his current research interests include land rights and questions of equality in African legislation. This scholar is currently completing his MA in law and political science at a university in France, and seeks opportunities to continue his research in a safe location beginning Summer 2015.

Upcoming Events

 April 30, Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard SAR Director Jane Unrue will speak at PEN New England's event honoring Iranian blogger Sattar Beheshti, who was tortured and killed in 2012 at the hands of Iran's cyber police. Beheshti will be posthumously awarded the 2015 Vasyl Stus Freedom to Write Award. The event will take place at Hayden Memorial Library’s Killian Hall, 160 Memorial Drive at MIT at 7:30 pm.  May 5-6, Vilnius, Lithuania: SAR Program Assistant Margaret Coons will present on ethics in international partnerships at the annual Network of Universities from the Capitals of Europe (UNICA) International Relations Officer meeting.  May 25-29, Boston, Massachusetts: Scholars at Risk and Roger Williams University will co-present a poster at the annual conference of NAFSA: Association of International Educators. The poster presentation is entitled “#free2think: Roger Williams University and Scholars at Risk Service-in-Learning Collaborative” and will provide a model for institutions interested in hands-on opportunities for students. The poster will be part of the Connections Between Peace and Justice, Social Responsibility, and International Education fair on Thursday, May 28th, from 10am-12pm.  June 1, London, UK: SAR Executive Director Rob Quinn will participate in on a panel entitled “Can universities go global without losing their values?” at the British

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Council’s 2015 Going Global conference. The panel, which is hosted by the Chronicle of Higher Education, will take place at 4:45 pm at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre.  June 3-5, Geneva, Switzerland: SAR will hold a Faculty/Researcher Development Workshop to introduce representatives of SAR member institutions, sections and partner networks to SAR academic freedom research and advocacy projects, for the purpose of involving their home institutions, sections and networks in one or more activities over the coming academic year. Academic Freedom Media Review

Each week, SAR compiles articles pertaining to academic freedom and higher education communities worldwide. The most read Media Review articles this week were:

 Forging global citizens is electrifying, says head of NYU Abu Dhabi

Chris Havergal, Times Higher Education, 04/23

Is it possible to offer a truly international education experience in the Western world? Not according to Alfred Bloom. Dr Bloom has been the vice-chancellor of New York University’s outpost in Abu Dhabi since 2009 and, in terms of his pedagogical outlook at least, can be said to have gone native. Read more.

 University reconsidering decision to cancel Charlie Hebdo conference Henry McDonald, The Guardian, 04/24 Queen’s University Belfast is to reconsider its decision to cancel a conference on the Charlie Hebdo massacre after writers and intellectuals accused the college of curbing academic freedom. The conference on the implications of the attack on the French satirical magazine had been scheduled to take place in June. It was cancelled earlier this month. Read more.  The Cost of Turkey's Genocide Denial Ronald Grigor Suny, The New York Times, 04/23 "The ifrst hurts where it hits," Recep Tayyip Erdogan, then Turkey's prime minister, said last year on the eve of an anniversary that he and his government would prefer to forget. Mr. Erdogan was using a popular saying to refer obliquely to the mass deportations and massacres of hundreds of thousands of Armenians and Assyrians int he Ottoman Empire in 1915. In Turkey, the debate over what most scholars acknowledge as a genocide remains a festering concern for Mr. Erdogan, now Turkey's president. His government's policy is to deny it. Read more.

This week's full Media Review can be found on the SAR website.

The SAR Primary Representative Weekly Digest is compiled and distributed every Monday to network members' primary representatives. If you would like to change your institution's primary representative or

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adjust your email preferences, please contact [email protected].

May 4, 2015 Contents

 Announcements  Opportunities  Scholars of the Week  Upcoming Events  Academic Freedom Media Review  Academic Freedom Monitoring Project  New Resources Announcements

 RSVP for the US-wide conference call: Following the success of the US-wide conference call on March 27th, we would like to hold the next call on Thursday, June 18th at 2 pm EDT / 11 am PDT. A SAR scholar will be joining us on this call, and we will be devoting time to sharing best practices from member institutions across the country. Click here to RSVP online.  New network hosts for at-risk scholars: o The Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, the Netherlands, welcomed a Syrian scholar to campus for a year-long visiting research position and Wageningen University for a three month period. This placement was organized in cooperation with SAR’s partner in the Netherlands, the Foundation for Refugee Students/University Assistance Fund, and supported by funds from the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. o Ghent University, the Netherlands, offered a three month visiting research position to an Iranian scholar. This placement was organized in cooperation with SAR’s partner in the Netherlands, the Foundation for Refugee Students/University Assistance Fund. o University of Pittsburgh, USA, offered a one year extension to a Sri Lankan scholar. o New York University, USA, offered an extension to a Syrian scholar for summer and fall 2015.  If you have not already, please click the buttons below to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (make sure to click "like" and "follow" on the pages). We would also like to publicize the good work you're doing, so feel free to tag us or tweet at us and we'll be sure to share your institution's SAR-related news.

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Opportunities

 Student Internship Opportunity: SAR is still seeking a summer intern to assist with SAR’s scholar protection work. Based at SAR's NYC headquarters, the intern will provide vital support to threatened scholars, including reviewing, researching and assessing applications and compiling nomination documents for circulation within SAR's network. The intern will have the opportunity to work directly with courageous scholars from around the world, as SAR views the internship as a way to provide meaningful real-life experience to complement a student's academic coursework. The ideal candidate has excellent research and communication skills and an interest in human rights, higher education, and/or refugee support. We would be grateful if you would share this opening with students you think may be interested. Students should apply via online application instructions, although we also welcome recommendations of highly qualified candidates to [email protected]. Scholars of the Week

This week, SAR is highlighting the cases of four Iraqi scholars, all still in country and seeking placement assistance as soon as possible. We ask for your help in reviewing the information and encourage you to share it with your institution and other colleagues who may be able to help. More information is available from the SAR network office at [email protected] and +1 212 998 2179. Thank you for your help.

IRAQ-784

Field: Cardiovascular Medicine Risk: Threat to life/person Language: Arabic, English (Fluent) Education: PhD

IRAQ-771

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Field: Archaeology; Anthropology Risk: Threat to life/person Language: Arabic, English (Fluent) Education: MA (US)

This promising junior scholar is an archaeologist with several years of experience as a university lecturer and field researcher. He received his MA in anthropology from an American university and his BA in archaeology from an Iraqi university. He has participated in several training programs and workshops organized by the US Embassy in Iraq, and has conducted field research in Yemen, Iraq, Colorado, and Nevada. He was previously a lecturer at a university in Iraq, where he also held leadership positions. He is a promising researcher with three published academic articles and three articles in preparation for publication. His research interests include Paleoanthropology, Paleolithic archaeology, lithic (stone tool) analysis, and Southwest Asia. Currently in Iraq, this scholar seeks research, teaching, and/or study opportunities in a safe location beginning immediately.

IRAQ-011

Field: Public Health Risk: Threat to life/person Language: Arabic, English (Fluent) Education: PhD

IRAQ-780

Field: Physiology Risk: Threat to life/person Language: Arabic, English (Fluent)

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Education: PhD

Upcoming Events

 May 5, Amsterdam, The Netherlands: UAF, SAR’s partner in The Netherlands, will hold an event honoring Liberation Day featuring a presentation of one of the Courage to Think monologues from a Congolese SAR scholar of African art and an interview with a Syrian SAR scholar of musicology.  May 5-6, Vilnius, Lithuania: SAR Program Assistant Margaret Coons will present on ethics in international partnerships at the annual Network of Universities from the Capitals of Europe (UNICA) International Relations Officer meeting.  May 25-29, Boston, Massachusetts: Scholars at Risk and Roger Williams University will co-present a poster at the annual conference of NAFSA: Association of International Educators. The poster presentation is entitled “#free2think: Roger Williams University and Scholars at Risk Service-in-Learning Collaborative” and will provide a model for institutions interested in hands-on opportunities for students. The poster will be part of the Connections Between Peace and Justice, Social Responsibility, and International Education fair on Thursday, May 28th, from 10am-12pm.  June 1, London, UK: SAR Executive Director Rob Quinn will participate in on a panel entitled “Can universities go global without losing their values?” at the British Council’s 2015 Going Global conference. The panel, which is hosted by the Chronicle of Higher Education, will take place at 4:45 pm at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre.  June 3-5, Geneva, Switzerland: SAR will hold a Faculty/Researcher Development Workshop to introduce representatives of SAR member institutions, sections and partner networks to SAR academic freedom research and advocacy projects, for the purpose of involving their home institutions, sections and networks in one or more activities over the coming academic year. Academic Freedom Media Review

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Each week, SAR compiles articles pertaining to academic freedom and higher education communities worldwide. The most read Media Review articles this week were:

 Academic Freedom and Tenure: The University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign

American Association of University Professors, 04/28

In the middle of summer 2014, Dr. Steven Salaita, associate professor of English at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, having resigned his tenured position, was preparing to relocate to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he had more than nine months earlier accepted a tenured appointment as associate professor in the Program of American Indian Studies (AIS). Both the administration and his prospective colleagues had made arrangements for him to assume his position in the fall term. The appointment still needed final approval by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, but Professor Salaita and the AIS faculty had reason to believe that this was a formality. The fall term was set to begin on August 25, more than two weeks before the board was to meet and confirm new appointments on September 11. Read more.  KU professor shot dead in Karachi Imtiaz Ali, Dawn, 04/29 Assailants on Wednesday shot dead an assistant professor of the University of Karachi (KU) in Federal B area. Dr Syed Wahidur Rahman, also known as Yasir Rizvi, was an instructor at the Karachi University's Mass Communication department. Read more.  Targets for terror: the shocking data on school and university attacks Sarah Marsh, The Guardian, 04/30 The storming of a military school in Peshawar by the Taliban, who killed 132 children and nine teachers, horrified the world. But it wasn’t an isolated event; attacks on educational institutions seem to be increasing. Schools and universities everywhere – from Nigeria to Kenya and Afghanistan – have been targeted in recent years. Read more. This week's full Media Review can be found on the SAR website. Academic Freedom Monitoring Project The SAR Academic Freedom MONITOR focuses on developing greater understanding of the volume and nature of attacks on higher education communities in order to develop more effective protection responses. The MONITOR aims to identify, assess and track incidents involving conduct which may constitute violations of academic freedom and/or the human rights of members of higher education communities. Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) in Pakistan has cancelled a talk scheduled to take place April 9, 2015, allegedly under government pressure. The event, titled “Unsilencing Balochistan,” was to feature human rights activist Abdul “Mama” Qadeer, a critic of Pakistan’s treatment of the minority Baloch population, among other activists and academics. Qadeer is the founder of Voice for Baloch Missing Persons, a group that seeks to expose forced disappearances of Baloch activists. According to a LUMS

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faculty member, Pakistani intelligence officials visited the campus and presented a letter demanding that the talk be cancelled; the officials reportedly indicated that “Balochistan is a sensitive issue and that the moot could be used to malign Pakistan.” To read more about this incident and for other incidents recently reported, please see http://monitoring.academicfreedom.info/.

New Resources UNESCO released the 2015 Education for All Report, entitled Education for All 2000- 2015: Achievements and Challenges. The report assesses the world’s progress since 2000 in achieving the Dakar Framework’s goals by the target date – 2015. The report found that one-third of countries have achieved all the EFA goals and that half of all countries have no achieved Universal Primary Enrolment.

Scholars at Risk calls for letters on behalf of imprisoned Bahraini scholar on hunger strike April 29, 2015

Scholars at Risk is gravely concerned over recent reports that Dr. Abdul Jalil Al-Singace, a professor of mechanical engineering who is currently imprisoned in Bahrain, is in deteriorating health. Especially concerning are reports that Dr. Al-Singace is currently undertaking a hunger strike in protest of the alleged degrading and ill treatment of prisoners of conscience - including himself - in Bahrain.

SAR calls for letters, emails, and faxes respectfully urging authorities to reconsider any convictions related to Dr. Al-Singace's peaceful exercise of free speech and association and to ensure his well-being and access to medical attention while in custody, in accordance with international human rights standards.

Click here to share your concern with the Attorney General of Bahrain and other authorities Further information: Scholars at Risk understands that Dr. Al-Singace, previously a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Bahrain, Isa Town, has been sentenced to life in prison on allegations stemming from his exercise of freedom of expression and freedom of association, rights protected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Scholars at Risk understands that while in prison, Dr. Al-Singace has suffered from escalating health problems, including respiratory and musculoskeletal issues and sickle cell disease. Dr. Al- Singace has two ruptured ear drums, reportedly obtained from beatings and torture suffered while in prison. We also understand that since March 21, 2015, Dr. Al-Singace has undertaken a hunger strike in protest of his ill treatment and that of prisoners of conscience in Bahrain. His family fears greatly for his safety and well-being given his recent ill health. We welcome any additional information which may explain these events or clarify our understanding. Absent these, the arrest, prolonged detention, and conviction of Dr. Al-Singace without substantial evidence, together with reports of his deteriorating health, suggest a troubling disregard for international standards of due process, fair trial and detention, as guaranteed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Bahrain has acceded.

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Scholars at Risk therefore invites letters, emails and faxes be sent to the appropriate authorities, respectfully urging: - that the authorities ensure Dr. Al-Singace’s well-being while in custody, including regular visits with his family and ongoing medical attention - that any charges or convictions related to Dr. Al-Singace’s peaceful exercise of protected human rights are lifted - that in the interim, Dr. Al-Singace’s case is addressed in a manner consistent with internationally recognized standards of due process, fair trial and detention, in accordance with Bahrain’s obligations under international law, and - that allegations of ill treatment of prisoners in Bahrain be fully investigated.

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Summer is on the horizon and so is graduation, a time when students, professors and their families celebrate the past and look to the road ahead. At Scholars at Risk, this is also a time to reflect on the hundreds of thousands of students and scholars in Syria and around the world—the "lost generation"—who can't attend this year's ceremonies and whose freedom to think is slipping away.

Dr. Kassem AlSayed Mahmoud, a Syrian food studies scholar, knows this generation all too well and counts many of these threatened scholars and students as his close friends and colleagues. In 2012, after seeing the devastating effects of the war, Kassem fled Syria and eventually made his way to France where he previously completed his PhD. Thanks to Scholars at Risk, Kassem now safely awaits a research position at Ghent University in Belgium, but he's constantly reminded of those less fortunate back home who yearn for safety, an education and the possibility of a new Syria: "I dream everyday to return to my homeland . . . a homeland that respects minds and thinkers."

We're relieved and honored to assist Kassem but we have a hunger to do more—to ensure that scholars and students in Syria and around the world can think, study and work freely.

Help us bring hope to the lost generation, and honor the graduate or scholar in your life through our #summer4scholars campaign. By donating as little as $25, you join the fight for the human rights of scholars and thinkers across the globe.

We need you,

Rob Quinn Executive Director

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he SAR Primary Representative Weekly Digest is compiled and distributed every Monday to network members' primary representatives. If you would like to change your institution's primary representative or adjust your email preferences, please contact [email protected].

May 11, 2015 Contents

 Announcements  Opportunities  Scholars of the Week  Upcoming Events  Academic Freedom Media Review Announcements

 We're delighted to welcome University West in Trollhättan, Sweden as the newest member of the SAR network!  This week, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences (HiOA) renewed their membership at the sustaining level. Our deepest gratitude to HiOA for their commitment to at-risk scholars and academic freedom!  Scholars at Risk is pleased to announce the launch of the 2015-2016 Speakers Series. This year's Speaker Series lists include an incredible selection of academics, writers and human rights activists from the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. SAR welcomes network members to invite one or more of these inspiring individuals to campus this year for lectures, panel discussions, workshops and other events. A list of scholars available for speaking engagements in your region, along with guidelines on inviting a speaker, can be found on SAR's website: http://scholarsatrisk.nyu.edu/At-Risk-Scholars/Speaker-Series.php. For more information about available speakers or about organizing your own event, please contact the SAR office at [email protected] or +1-212-998-2179.  RSVP for the US-wide conference call: Following the success of the US-wide conference call on March 27th, we would like to hold the next call on Thursday, June 18th at 2 pm EDT / 11 am PDT. A SAR scholar will be joining us on this call, and we will be devoting time to sharing best practices from member institutions across the country. Click here to RSVP online. Opportunities

 Support the Building Academic Freedom and Democracy in Africa Project: Dr. Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua, a Ghanaian researcher at the University of Lincoln, a CARA-SAR member institution, is conducting research on academic freedom through an EU Marie Curie fellowship. We invite you to take this short survey (15- 20 minutes) in support of his work and to read more about the project.  Student Internship Opportunity: SAR is still seeking a summer intern to assist

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with SAR’s scholar protection work. Based at SAR's NYC headquarters, the intern will provide vital support to threatened scholars, including reviewing, researching and assessing applications and compiling nomination documents for circulation within SAR's network. The intern will have the opportunity to work directly with courageous scholars from around the world, as SAR views the internship as a way to provide meaningful real-life experience to complement a student's academic coursework. The ideal candidate has excellent research and communication skills and an interest in human rights, higher education, and/or refugee support. We would be grateful if you would share this opening with students you think may be interested. Students should apply via online application instructions, although we also welcome recommendations of highly qualified candidates to [email protected].  Join the conversation. Protect the university space. On Wednesday, May 6, SAR program assistant Margaret Coons presented on ethics in international partnerships at the annual international relations officer meeting of UNICA, a SAR partner network. If your institution or organization is interested in making this kind of dialogue on higher education values part of a future meeting or conference, please contact [email protected]. Scholars of the Week

The following are summaries of scholars currently seeking placement assistance. We ask for your help in reviewing the information and encourage you to share it with your institution and other colleagues who may be able to help. More information is available from the SAR network office at [email protected] and +1 212 998 2179. Thank you for your help.

SYRI-589

Field: Mechanical Engineering Risk: Threat to life/person Language: Arabic, French (Fluent), English (Intermediate) Education: PhD (France)

This scholar is an experienced professor and researcher of mechanical engineering. He received his PhD from a university in France, where his dissertation focused on the composite materials of fibers. He was subsequently a post-doctoral researcher at an institute in the same university, where his supervisor remarked that his efforts significantly advanced the group’s research and led to the findings being published in several international journals. He has over a decade of experience teaching courses in mechanical engineering at a university in Syria, and he has held visiting professor positions in Ireland and France. His current research interests include the study of damping of composites materials, dynamic behavior of cracked beams, and the influence of transportation vibrations on fruits. Currently in Syria, the scholar seeks research and/or teaching opportunities in North America and Europe beginning immediately.

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SYRI-590

Field: Physics; Engineering Risk: Threat to life/person Language: Arabic, English (Fluent) Education: PhD (France)

This scholar is an experienced professor and researcher of physics and engineering, with a specialization in a branch of radiological physics called microdosimetry. He received his PhD in nuclear physics from a university in the United Kingdom and has published nearly a dozen academic articles in regional journals. He also authored and co-authored three books for undergraduate physics courses. In addition to his research, the scholar has taught at universities in Saudi Arabia and Syria for nearly a decade. He has taught courses in light technology, electrical engineering, electric components and circuits, electricity and magnetism, heat and thermodynamics, nuclear physics, and general physics, among others subjects. Currently in Syria, the scholar seeks teaching and/or research opportunities in a safe environment beginning immediately.

HOND-503

Field: Poetry; Latin American and Spanish Literature; Women’s Studies Risk: Harassment/Intimidation; Threat to life/person Language: Spanish, English (Intermediate) Education: PhD (ABD, Costa Rica)

This scholar is a poet, human rights defender and scholar of Latin American and Spanish literature with a specialty in women’s poetry. The scholar was a PhD candidate at a university in Costa Rica, and has a BA and an MA from Honduran universities. The scholar was also a Fulbright scholar at a university in the United States. Currently a professor in Honduras, the scholar has extensive teaching experience at the university level, teaching courses in Latin American literature, Central American literature, Spanish literature, and women's studies. The scholar has published several books of her poems, and has had her poetry, essays, and articles published in regional and international literary journals. The scholar is also an active human rights defender, and co-founded a national section of an international freedom of expression organization in Honduras. As the scholar is currently unable to continue her work in safety in Honduras at this time, she is seeking research and/or teaching opportunities in a safe location beginning immediately.

IRAN-707

Field: Philosophy; Ethics

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Risk: Threat of Violence, Harassment/Intimidation (Displaced) Language: Persian, English (Fluent), Arabic (Fluent) Education: PhD in progress (UK)

This scholar expects to receive his PhD in philosophy from a university in the UK by September 2015. This scholar also holds an MA in philosophy and BSc in business management and economics from universities in Iran, and certificates from universities in Switzerland and Hungary. The scholar was previously a senior scholar at a research institute in Iran. The scholar has published dozens of academic and media articles in English and Persian. He also has a book published in Persian, and a book chapter under publication in cooperation with a university in Switzerland. While pursuing his PhD in the UK, the scholar taught a non-university course on moral psychology, and was a teaching assistant on a course about values and virtues at his university. The scholar is currently a postdoctoral research assistant at another UK university. This scholar seeks post-doctoral research and/or teaching opportunities in North America or Europe beginning Fall 2015.

Upcoming Events

 May 25-29, Boston, Massachusetts: Scholars at Risk and Roger Williams University will co-present a poster at the annual conference of NAFSA: Association of International Educators. The poster presentation is entitled “#free2think: Roger Williams University and Scholars at Risk Service-in-Learning Collaborative” and will provide a model for institutions interested in hands-on opportunities for students. The poster will be part of the Connections Between Peace and Justice, Social Responsibility, and International Education fair on Thursday, May 28th, from 10am-12pm.  June 1, London, UK: SAR Executive Director Rob Quinn will participate in on a panel entitled “Can universities go global without losing their values?” at the British Council’s 2015 Going Global conference. The panel, which is hosted by the Chronicle of Higher Education, will take place at 4:45 pm at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre.  June 3-5, Geneva, Switzerland: SAR will hold a Faculty/Researcher Development Workshop to introduce representatives of SAR member institutions, sections and partner networks to SAR academic freedom research and advocacy projects, for the purpose of involving their home institutions, sections and networks in one or more activities over the coming academic year. The workshop is generously hosted by the University of Geneva.  June 25, Amsterdam, The Netherlands: The program for Academic Freedom / Scholars at Risk at VU Amsterdam will hold a Symposium on Gender and Sexual Diversity in Post-revolutionary Iran. More information to follow. Academic Freedom Media Review

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Each week, SAR compiles articles pertaining to academic freedom and higher education communities worldwide. The most read Media Review articles this week were:

 Four released while eight remain in prison

Baha'i International Community, 05/04

Four Baha'is involved with the Baha'i Institute for Higher Education (BIHE), who had been unjustly imprisoned in Iran four years ago, have been released after completing their sentences, while concern remains for eight others who are still languishing in jail. Read more.

 We've Got Your Back Colleen Flaherty, Inside Higher Ed, 05/08 Sometimes college and university leaders try to avoid the spotlight when a faculty member is under attack. Not so this week at Polk State College, which is standing behind a humanities professor accused of giving students anti-Christian assignments, even as the allegations were picked up by national conservative outlets. Read more.  Take It Down Colleen Flaherty, Inside Higher Ed, 05/05 Should U of Minnesota have investigated and questioned the judgment of professors whose poster promoting a panel discussion on the Charlie Hebdo murders offended Muslim students? Read more.

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May 18, 2015 Contents

 Announcements  Opportunities  Scholars of the Week  Upcoming Events  Academic Freedom Media Review Announcements

 This week we are thrilled to welcome Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, USA and the University of Missouri in Missouri, USA as the network's newest sustaining members. Welcome!  Student Remote Internship Opportunity: SAR seeks an enthusiastic intern to assist with SAR’s protection and prevention efforts. Based off-site at their home institution, the intern will research and investigate attacks on higher education communities through SAR's Academic Freedom Monitoring Project, or research and advocate for scholars and students facing alleged unjust restriction, prosecution or imprisonment through the Scholars in Prison project. The intern will have the opportunity to work directly with human rights experts and advocates from around the world, as SAR views the internship as a way to provide meaningful real-life experience to complement a student's academic coursework. The ideal candidate has excellent research, writing and communication skills and an interest in human rights, law or higher education. We would be grateful if you would share this opening with students you think may be interested. Students should apply via online application instructions, although we also welcome recommendations of highly qualified candidates to [email protected]. Opportunities

 Invite a SAR scholar to speak on your campus: This year's Speaker Series lists include an incredible selection of academics, writers and human rights activists from the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. SAR welcomes network members to invite one or more of these inspiring individuals to campus this year for lectures, panel discussions, workshops and other events. A list of scholars available for speaking engagements in your region, along with guidelines on inviting a speaker, can be found on SAR's website: http://scholarsatrisk.nyu.edu/At-Risk- Scholars/Speaker-Series.php. For more information about available speakers or about organizing your own event, please contact the SAR office at [email protected] or +1-212-998-2179.

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DRCO-570

Field: Political Science; Sociology; Conflict Resolution Risk: Threat to life/person Language: French, Kiswahili (Fluent) Education: MA

This scholar has a decade of teaching experience in political science and sociology, and has published several articles on peace and conflict in Africa. He holds a Master’s degree in conflict management from a university in West Africa, and another graduate degree and a BA in political science from a Congolese university. He currently teaches courses on political science, gender and development, and political and administrative institutions of the DRC at a Congolese university, where he also serves in leadership positions. His current research interests include the effects of rebel governance on human rights in eastern DRC. This scholar is also active in NGO work, and has worked with the UN and Congolese parliament in the past. The scholar is seeking research and/or teaching opportunities in French-speaking Africa, Europe, or North America beginning immediately.

ZIMB-556

Field: Adult Education; Public Health Risk: Intimidation; Risk of arrest/violence (Displaced) Language: English (Fluent) Education: PhD (Canada)

This scholar has over 10 years of experience researching HIV/AIDS. He received his PhD in adult education and counseling psychology from a university in Canada. He has presented papers at conferences in Canada on topics including foreign aid, health, human rights and HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe. In addition to his academic work, this scholar previously worked for an international organization where he worked to ensure that sufficient financing was available for public schools, and sought to positively influence the

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education policy in Zimbabwe. He also previously worked for another organization in designing HIV/AIDS programs for implementation in schools and contributed to research on the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on the education sector. Currently lecturing at a college in Canada, this scholar seeks research and/or teaching opportunities in Canada beginning Fall 2015.

Upcoming Events

Each week, SAR compiles articles pertaining to academic freedom and higher education communities worldwide. The most read Media Review articles this week were:

 ‘A year of IS rule has set Iraq back 10 years’

Matthew Reisz, Times Higher Education, 05/14

Harrowing stories of the suffering and dilemmas faced by academics in Islamic State-controlled areas of Iraq have emerged through testimonies given to the

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Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA). Read more.

 Iranian Professors Urge Government To Butt Out Frud Bezhan, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 05/11 A group of 700 Iranian university teachers have sent a letter to the government calling for an end to what they say is "unprecedented interference" in the internal affairs of universities. Read more.  ‘They Belong in the Classroom, Not in Prison': Myanmar's Detained Student Protesters Mong Palatino, Global Voices, 05/14 Seventy students remain in detention in Myanmar for joining protests against the proposed National Education Law, which critics believe would give the central government excessive power in managing the country’s higher education institutions. Most of the detained students were arrested in a police crackdown on March 10, 2015. Read more.

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