Scholars at Risk (SAR) News Summary – May 2025
1. Pulitzer Prize for Mosab Abu Toha
Palestinian poet and writer Mosab Abu Toha has been awarded the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary for his essays in The New Yorker that chronicle life in Gaza during wartime. Now a visiting scholar in Syracuse, NY, Abu Toha dedicates the honor to raising awareness of the human cost of conflict and advocating for peace.
2. European Student Advocacy Days 2025
Held in Dundee, Scotland, this year’s event brought together over 70 students and faculty from eight European universities to collaborate on campaigns supporting scholars like Marfa Rabkova, currently imprisoned in Belarus. Participants engaged with civil society experts and government officials to refine their advocacy strategies.
3. Scholars Seeking Hosts
SAR is actively seeking academic placements for numerous at-risk scholars, including:
- A mental health researcher from Afghanistan, persecuted by the Taliban
- A nursing and palliative care scholar from Ethiopia, displaced due to regional conflict
- A geographer from Yemen, impacted by war and political instability
Contact: hostingatSAR@nyu.edu
4. Voices from Sudan
Sudanese biomedical scientist Ashraam shares her story of fleeing war and her hopes for rebuilding higher education in Sudan. She calls on the international academic community to expand mentorship, funding, and partnership opportunities.
5. Ayotzinapa Case Continues at Berkeley
Omar Gómez Trejo, former special prosecutor in the Ayotzinapa student disappearance case in Mexico, is now a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley through SAR’s Practitioners at Risk program. He continues his work on human rights and justice for the victims' families.
6. Legal Threats in Thailand
On May 1, a Thai court dropped lèse-majesté charges against American academic Dr. Paul Chambers, but SAR remains concerned about the chilling effect such laws have on academic expression. Dr. Chambers was also dismissed from his university role, jeopardizing his legal status in Thailand.
7. Inspireurope+ Stakeholder Forum
The May 7th forum in Paris focused on long-term integration of researchers at risk. Hosted by the PAUSE programme, discussions included representatives from SAR Europe, College de France, and the French Ministry of Research.
8. Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali’s Imprisonment Enters 9th Year
SAR marks the anniversary of the wrongful imprisonment of disaster medicine scholar Dr. Djalali, who recently suffered a heart attack while being denied adequate care in Iran’s Evin Prison. SAR continues advocacy efforts urging his release.
9. Upcoming Events
- May 14: Webinar on Academic Freedom in Asia (SAR & IFCU)
- May 15: SAR Netherlands Relaunch hosted by UAF
- June 3: “Universities in Action” conference (Wallonia-Brussels SAR members)
10. Funding & Fellowship Opportunities
- NIAS Safe Haven Fellowship (Netherlands) – Deadline: May 21
- Sam Pegram LLM Scholarship (University of York) – Deadline: May 31
11. SAR US Bulletin & Membership Survey
SAR invites US stakeholders to subscribe to its bi-monthly bulletin on domestic academic freedom issues. The 2024–25 SAR Membership Survey remains open through June 30.