During the event, members from CAFA, from the African Coalition for Academic Freedom and the Asian Coalition for Academic Freedom discussed opportunities for collaboration.
On June 25-27, Scholars at Risk (SAR) held its 2024 Global Congress in Vilnius, Lithuania, under the theme Sustainable Knowledge: Lessons from Universities, Scholars and Students in Exile.
The event was co-hosted by Scholars at Risk, the European Humanities University and the City of Vilnius. During three very exciting and enriching days, we were able to hear a wealth of experiences from all over the world. This was an excellent opportunity to bring together some of the members of CAFA for an in-depth workshop to discuss the priorities of this coalition. It was also the first meeting of members of a promising inter-regional collaboration between CAFA, the African Coalition for Academic Freedom and the Asian Coalition for Academic Freedom.
CAFA’s Director, Camilla Croso, participated in the panel Academic Freedom Advocacy in the UN and Regional Systems, which explored efforts to enhance the understanding and protection of academic freedom within and through intergovernmental and regional human rights and higher education systems. Other panellists were Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua (School of Law, University of Ghana), Bencharat Sae Chua (Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies, Mahidol University) and Denise Roche (Advocacy Manager, SAR Europe & Inspireurope+). The panel was moderated by Pingtjin Thum (New Naratif). It was an opportunity to reinforce the importance of cross-regional cooperation in advocating for academic freedom in international human rights bodies.
Additionally, CAFA was represented by its legal advisor, Salvador Herencia-Carrasco, who participated in the panel discussion entitled “Student Engagement in Academic Freedom Advocacy,” alongside Melanie Adrian, Professor of the Department of Law and Legal Studies at Carleton University, and Edzia Carvalho. Also in attendance were Selma Bratberg, President of SAIH – The Norwegian Students’ and Academics’ International Assistance Fund, and Maksim Zafranski, representing the Belarusian Student Association.
Clare Robinson, the Advocacy Director at Scholars at Risk, emphasised the significance of this Congress:“Scholars at Risk’s Congress in Vilnius, Lithuania provided opportunities for the SAR network to address the causes of and the fallout from attacks on the global higher education sector while concurrently demonstrating solidarity for colleagues worldwide who suffer direct attacks. In particular, the convening in Vilnius brought together stakeholders in three specific regions where SAR is encouraging the formation of coalitions in support of academic freedom: Africa, the Americas, and Southeast Asia. Coalition partners and SAR exchanged best practices and expertise, and workshopped regional plans for addressing attacks on academic freedom. And perhaps most important, coming together at the Congress allowed for SAR and our partners to identify what we believe are the most effective ways to work together across regions, as there will inevitably be moments or crises during which we will want to speak with one unified, collective voice”.
Find out all about the Congress on SAR website (click here).
