{"id":568,"date":"2025-05-28T03:12:07","date_gmt":"2025-05-28T03:12:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/scholars-at-risk\/?p=568"},"modified":"2025-06-17T18:31:30","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T18:31:30","slug":"networking-and-collaboration-around-the-globe-key-to-supporting-at-risk-scholars-panelists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/scholars-at-risk\/2025\/05\/28\/networking-and-collaboration-around-the-globe-key-to-supporting-at-risk-scholars-panelists\/","title":{"rendered":"Networking and collaboration around the globe key to supporting at-risk scholars: panelists"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Danielle Alperin, assistant director of the New York-based Scholar Rescue Fund, addresses delegates during a panel discussion that also included (l-r) Dr. Maike Didero from Germany’s Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and Carleton University professors Andrew Johnston and Christine Duff. Presenters Phoebe Alpern from the New York-based Scholars at Risk Network and Marion Gu\u00e9s Lucchini of France’s PAUSE program appeared via video link. [Photo \u00a9 Conference News Team]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt might take a village to raise a child,\u201d Dr. Maike Didero, a champion for at-risk researchers in Europe, told conference-goers at the Safe Havens and Knowledge Networks conference on May 22 at Carleton University. But, she added, it takes \u201ca very dedicated team of people to help a scholar restart his or her career.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With those words, Didero \u2014 a social geographer in Germany and program manager at the Berlin-based Alexander von Humboldt Foundation \u2014 encapsulated the worldwide efforts of scholars-at-risk organizations while underlining the national and international responsibility to protect and support academics, activists and artists displaced from their home countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Didero was one of four international panelists who joined in a hybrid in-person\/video discussion moderated by Carleton University professors Andrew Johnston and Christine Duff, co-chairs of Scholars at Risk Carleton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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German scholar Dr. Maike Didero, program manager of Inspire Europe at the Berlin-based Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, is a human geographer and advocate for scholars at risk. [Photo \u00a9 Conference News Team]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The conversation highlighted the work of  key scholar protection programs in the global movement supporting at-risk and displaced researchers and others seeking safe havens and employment opportunities abroad. Along with Didero, the panel included Marion Gu\u00e9s Lucchini, advocacy and international affairs officer with France\u2019s PAUSE program, via video link;  Phoebe Alpern, program associate for membership and university relations at the New York-based Scholars at Risk Network, also via video; and Danielle Alperin, assistant director at the Institute of International Education Scholar Rescue Fund, also based in New York.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each representative gave a presentation on the model, practices and successes of their respective programs, along with the challenges they face. The session was an opportunity for conference attendees to peek under the hood to see how scholars-at-risk programs work and to exchange knowledge about both effective advocacy efforts and areas to improve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Phoebe Alpern, programme associate for membership and university relations with the New York-based Scholars at Risk Network, spoke to conference delegates via video about the international movement to support at-risk scholars, artist and activists. [Photo \u00a9 Conference News Network]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Didero explained that the main mission of the Humboldt Foundation \u201cis to sponsor researchers from all around the world with long-term research fellowships.\u201d She also works with Inspireurope+, the Initiative to Support, Promote and Integrate Researchers at Risk in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When working with at-risk scholars, dangerous situations can arise suddenly, she said. Didero recalled a time when a scholar reached out to seek an urgent placement back in Germany because of unanticipated threats from the Iranian government. \u201cIn theory, we all know that emails are postcards we send around,\u201d she observed. \u201cBut when you actually realize that the postcard you\u2019ve been sending out has been intercepted by the wrong people and they have been acting on it, that\u2019s a very chilling moment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Situations like these are why the foundation\u2019s Philipp Schwartz Initiative exists to give researchers at risk financial and institutional support, said Didero. \u201cThe Philipp Schwartz Initiative offers fellowships for 24 months, fully funded and extendable for a third year if co-funding can be found,\u201d she explained. Those eligible for fellowships are post-doctoral candidates up to senior professor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘In theory, we all know that emails are postcards we send around. But when you actually realize that the postcard you\u2019ve been sending out has been intercepted by the wrong people and they have been acting on it, that\u2019s a very chilling moment.’<\/p>\u2014 Dr. Maike Didero, program manager, Inspireurope+, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lucchini outlined the sheer scope of the scholars-at-risk crisis from the PAUSE perspective. The program supports doctoral students, researchers, professors and, since 2021, artists displaced from nations with oppressive regimes. The French program serves nearly 700 scientists and artists spanning 44 countries of origin. For Gues Lucchini, these numbers \u201creally reflect the global nature of the crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Danielle Alperin said the Scholar Rescue Fund is also experiencing unprecedented requests for  assistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are more threatened, displaced scholars today than at any point in history,\u201d said Alperin. \u201cThis is reflected in our application numbers. We\u2019ve seen hundreds of applications every year. The demand far exceeds our limited resources.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of the SRF\u2019s support package, which includes a US$25,000 fellowship grant renewable for a second year, the program also provides US$5,000 in relocation funding.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
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Conference panelist Marion Gu\u00e9s Lucchini appeared via video from France. Lucchini is advocacy and international relations manager at the PAUSE Programme, where she promotes the protection of scholars and artists at risk and leads national and international advocacy efforts. [Photo \u00a9 Conference News Team]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cI think this (relocation fund) is a great example of one of the ways the program was adapted to the needs we were actually seeing,\u201d said Alperin, \u201cwhich is that fellows \u2014 either due to prolonged periods of displacement or longstanding blacklisting in their nation\u2019s academy \u2014 didn\u2019t have the financial resources to get to the host campuses.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Funding is vital for these programs to continue the work of supporting at-risk researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alpern explained that the Scholars at Risk Network leverages collaboration with other SAR campuses as well as international organizations and not-for-profits to secure funding and promote knowledge-sharing opportunities. The organization\u2019s international advisory committee is key to building these connections. \u201cThere\u2019s a high degree of collaboration amongst institutions,\u201d said Alpern, noting that this is vital to \u201creally ensure we\u2019re not constantly re-inventing the wheel when we do this work.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cIt might take a village to raise a child,\u201d Dr. Maike Didero, a champion for at-risk researchers in Europe, told conference-goers at the Safe Havens and Knowledge Networks conference on May 22 at Carleton University. But, she added, it takes \u201ca very dedicated team of people to help a scholar restart his or her career.\u201d … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":544,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-568","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/scholars-at-risk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/568","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/scholars-at-risk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/scholars-at-risk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/scholars-at-risk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/scholars-at-risk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=568"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/scholars-at-risk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/568\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":705,"href":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/scholars-at-risk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/568\/revisions\/705"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/scholars-at-risk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/544"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/scholars-at-risk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=568"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/scholars-at-risk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=568"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/scholars-at-risk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=568"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}