Scholars at Risk Network
Budget
€3,314,103
EP Access
0
accredited persons
Staff
5
5 FTE
EU Grants
None
Mission & Goals
Scholars at Risk (SAR) is an international network of over 650 higher education institutions and thousands of individuals in over 40 countries dedicated to protecting and offering sanctuary to threatened scholars. SAR’s mission is to protect higher education communities and their members from violent and coercive attacks, and by doing so to expand the space in society for reason and evidence-based approaches to resolving conflicts and solving problems. SAR meets this mission through direct protection of individuals, advocacy aimed at preventing attacks and increasing accountability, and research and learning initiatives that promote academic freedom and related values. SAR’s Academic Freedom Monitoring Project identifies and reports attacks on higher education to protect vulnerable scholars and students, hold perpetrators accountable, and prevent future violations.
EU Legislative Interests
SAR, Inc. does not engage in specified legislative proposal making, but engages in general education with the public, higher education sector, and policy makers on actions which may implicate SAR Inc.'s mission of protecting threatened scholars/higher education and promoting academic freedom. Policy focuses: EP Annual Report on Human Rights EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2020-2027 EU Democracy Action Plan Urgent EP Resolutions on human rights European Research Area Policy Agenda and European Research Area Act Horizon Europe Academic freedom and researchers at risk debates in DROI, AFET, CULT, COHOM Academic freedom in EU agreements and relations with third countries, human rights dialogues Researchers at Risk Promotion of the freedom of scientific research in the EU EP Academic Freedom Monitor 2023 Rule of Law Annual Monitoring Cycle European Strategy for Universities SLAPPs
Communication Activities
SAR’s work in Brussels focuses on EU internal and external policies as it relates to promoting academic freedom and scientific freedom, and protecting at-risk scholars. Activities include dissemination around our Annual Report Free to Think, Universal Periodic Review submissions/country reports, scholars in prison cases, as well as policy briefings, advocacy letters; meetings to support the work of Inspireurope+ and MSC4Ukraine, attending European Parliament Forum for Academic Freedom, sometimes as speakers. All our directly EU-related publications are at: https://sareurope.eu/what-we-do/promote-academic-freedom/policy-submissions/ https://sareurope.eu/inspireurope/inspireurope-publications-policy/
Interests Represented
Does not represent commercial interests
Member Of
SAR has Special Consultative Status with ECOSOC (2013) and UNESCO. SAR Europe, SAR's European office is a member of: Human Rights and Democracy Network: https://hrdn.eu/ Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe: https://www.the-case.eu/ The Fundamental Rights Platform (FRP): https://fra.europa.eu/en/cooperation/civil-society Observer Status with the Council of Europe Steering Committee for Education (CDEDU): https://www.coe.int/en/web/education/cdedu
Organisation Members
Scholars at Risk (SAR) is an international network of over 650 higher education institutions, associations, and advocates across over 40 countries. SAR membership is open to accredited higher education institutions and educational associations worldwide. https://www.scholarsatrisk.org/the-network/ List of members here:https://www.scholarsatrisk.org/membership-directory/ The SAR Network is increasingly organised into national sections — geographic groupings of higher education institutions organised for the specific purpose of participating in SAR-related activities. https://www.scholarsatrisk.org/sar-sections/ SAR partners with 14 fellow higher education networks which engage their own membership in SAR programming and support at-risk scholars through their established capacities. Find out more about SAR partner networks here. https://www.scholarsatrisk.org/partner-networks/
Additional Information
SAR (SAR Inc.) is the applicant/registrant and US secretariat of the SAR network. SAR receives no EU grants. SAR Europe, is the European office of the SAR network and an informal research unit within Maynooth University, Ireland. SAR Europe benefits from two EU grants via Maynooth University. Inspireurope+ https://sareurope.eu/inspireurope MSCA4Ukraine https://sareurope.eu/msca4ukraine/
Commissioner Meetings
No recorded meetings with EU commissioners.