Endangered Scholars Worldwide Quarterly Report

Abstract

Endangered Scholars Worldwide Quarterly Report Dolunay Bulut Attacks on higher education communities are occurring at an alarming rate worldwide, threatening the safety and well-being of scholars, students, and academic staff, as well as the autonomy of higher education institutions. In response to an increase in threats to academic freedom around the world, Endangered Scholars Worldwide is evolving as an online publication to provide more frequent, up-to-date alerts. With the global increase in internet access, sharing online updates has allowed us to respond more rapidly to new and developing cases and to make the information visible and accessible to readers in the most remote parts of the world. While we will still publish a regular update in Social Research: An International Quarterly, going forward our activity will continue under the auspices of the New University in Exile Consortium, www.newuniversityinexileconsortium.org. The Consortium was launched in the fall of 2018 at The New School with the mission creating a supportive intellectual community for threatened, exiled scholars. It works to help them identify possible path toward new futures and helps others find placements at Consortium schools of which there are now over 40 worldwide. For the most current information and ways in which you can be involved in our efforts to defend academic freedom and free expression, we invite you to visit our website www.endangeredscholarsworldwide.net or follow us at www.facebook.com/endangeredscholars and https://twitter.com/ESWNEWSCHOOL. [End Page iv] If you are aware of a scholar or student whose case you believe we should investigate, please get in touch with us at esw@newschool.edu. Thank you for your unwavering support. SPECIAL DELIVERY Endangered Scholars Worldwide is deeply concerned about the ongoing unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine. As this issue goes to press, four weeks after the invasion started, the Russian attacks on civilians, residential areas, and public establishments such as universities and hospitals have increased. According to estimates from the United Nations, more than 8 million people who were living in Ukraine have been internally displaced or have fled to other countries. Those who remain in the country face a daily struggle for survival, as cities under siege run low on food, lack clean water, have no access to medical care, and mostly operate without heat and electricity. When a war or conflict erupts, educational institutions are often primary military targets. Attacking schools and universities spreads fear and intimidation. On March 2, 2022, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University was hit and set on fire by a missile attack. According to several social media posts, academics and students from various institutions including Kharkiv University were killed during missile attacks on residential areas, on the road as they were trying to free the country, or in combat defending their families and city. On March 4, 2022, while the death toll continued to rise and the conflict intensified, the European Union announced that Ukrainian citizens would be entitled to the newly enacted temporary protection directive, permitting them to live, work, and study in EU member states for up to three years. ESW stands in solidarity with Ukrainian people in their struggles for freedom and safety. We call upon all international organizations and academic and professional associations devoted to the promotion and defense of human rights to join us in urging the Russian government to end this illegitimate and immoral war. We demand immediate withdrawal of the Russian forces from Ukraine and international [End Page v] community's full attention to make all efforts to honor their obligations under international humanitarian law and human rights treaties, including to ensure free and unhindered humanitarian access to people in need of assistance and protection, open borders for the safe movement of students, faculty, artists, human rights activists, and journalists; and to honor the right to education and free expression. Please sign the New University in Exile Consortium's petition in support of Ukraine at https://www.change.org/p/ukraine-statement-of-support-will-you-sign. Visit www.endangeredscholarsworldwide.net for more information. —By Dolunay Bulut [End Page vi] Copyright © 2022 The New School