{"id":62019,"date":"2022-03-10T04:30:10","date_gmt":"2022-03-10T09:30:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=62019"},"modified":"2022-03-10T04:30:10","modified_gmt":"2022-03-10T09:30:10","slug":"ukrainian-academics-face-exile-harassment-and-censorship-in-ongoing-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/ukrainian-academics-face-exile-harassment-and-censorship-in-ongoing-war\/","title":{"rendered":"Ukrainian academics face exile, harassment and censorship in ongoing war"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nProtests at universities and statements from the\u00a0International Science Council<\/a>\u00a0denouncing Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine point to the\u00a0beginning of a massive refugee crisis<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 and also raise urgent questions about how the conflict will affect Ukraine\u2019s scholars and research.<\/p>\n

Following the\u00a0Feb. 24 invasion<\/a>, which has now resulted\u00a0in more than 1.7 million Ukrainians fleeing the country<\/a>, Ukraine\u2019s universities and\u00a0researchers<\/a>\u00a0are being seriously affected with the widespread\u00a0displacement of faculty and students<\/a>, and a\u00a0suspension of all activities<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The full extent of the damage on scholars and research will not be known for some time, but\u00a0predictions are grim<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Our research expertises are in exploring challenges associated with\u00a0refugee and migrant integration<\/a>\u00a0into dominant societies and in\u00a0intellectual traditions<\/a>\u00a0and the rise of populism.<\/p>\n

We also advocate with, and for,\u00a0refugee and displaced scholars<\/a>\u00a0fleeing conflict zones or repressive political circumstances, particularly those perceived as threatening to regimes and extremist groups,\u00a0and who are at risk of being targeted<\/a>\u00a0as a result.<\/p>\n

One of us, Karly, co-founded the Young Academy of Scotland\u2019s\u00a0At-Risk Academic and Refugee Membership<\/a>\u00a0and is working on the At-Risk and Displaced Academics and Artists program for\u00a0the Royal Society of Canada\u2019s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists<\/a>. The other, Evren, has\u00a0first-hand experience<\/a>\u00a0with dislocation as a displaced scholar from Turkey, and organizes lectures and panels exploring the challenges displaced scholars face in host countries.<\/p>\n

Exile, harassment<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Many of Ukraine\u2019s researchers likely face exile, various forms of harassment or worse; a similar fate will likely\u00a0await Russian colleagues<\/a>\u00a0who try to help them.<\/p>\n

These predictions are based on what has happened before in countries facing war, conflict or political turmoil and strife \u2014 including, in recent years, Syria, Venezuela, Hungary,\u00a0Ethiopia<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Turkey<\/a>.<\/p>\n

When a war or conflict erupts, educational institutions such as schools and universities are primary military targets. The United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)\u00a0notes that attacking schools and universities<\/a>\u00a0enables \u201cextremists to spread fear and indoctrinate new recruits.\u201d<\/p>\n

Iraq\u2019s\u00a0Mosul University<\/a>\u00a0was targeted by the Islamic State and its\u00a0library<\/a>\u00a0destroyed in 2014.<\/p>\n

Canada was one of 113 countries to endorse UNESCO\u2019s 2015\u00a0Safe Schools Declaration<\/a>\u00a0calling on countries to protect schools and universities from military use during armed conflict.<\/p>\n

Universities are also subjected to intellectual dismantling. At the extreme, in countries like Syria, this occurs through the\u00a0targeted harassment, kidnapping or even murder<\/a>\u00a0of professors, researchers and students whose work is perceived as being at odds with the messaging of the regime or authoritarian government.<\/p>\n

Numerous women and LGBTQ+ researchers from various countries have told us they feel vulnerable to acts of violence and segregation because of their sex or how they identify or because of their research in the fields of LGBTQ+ or women\u2019s rights.<\/p>\n

The International Science Council notes that\u00a0early-career researchers<\/a>\u00a0without well-established networks often find themselves in highly precarious situations when conflicts erupt.<\/p>\n

Armed conflict, academic censorship<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Being able to\u00a0criticize government policy, to research subjects that are controversial or critical of an authoritarian government<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 or to advocate in fields like women\u2019s health \u2014 is not a freedom that all academics and students possess.<\/p>\n

As the\u00a0Scholars at Risk Academic Freedom Monitoring Project<\/a>\u00a0shows, researcher displacement through war, conflict and targeted violence is a persistent, longstanding issue. Sample data collected from\u00a0September 2020 to August 2021<\/a>\u00a0identified 332 attacks from 272 verified incidents in 65 countries \u2014 a \u201csmall subset of all attacks on higher education.\u201d<\/p>\n

The consequences of these kinds of systemic attacks, due to armed conflict and academic censorship within countries, are severe because not only is\u00a0immense human capital lost<\/a>, but global research capacity is undermined.<\/p>\n

Academic censorship often targets\u00a0individual researchers<\/a>\u00a0whose political beliefs, activism or research does not align with the narrative that the regime or authoritarian government wishes to advance.<\/p>\n

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University students carry posters reading \u2018Russians Stop Putin\u2019 after attending a demonstration outside the British Embassy in Lisbon, in solidarity with the Ukrainians, on March 4. (AP Photo\/Armando Franca)<\/p><\/div>\n

Crisis flashpoints<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Credible\u00a0estimates suggest<\/a>\u00a0there are at least\u00a010,000 displaced scientists<\/a>\u00a0worldwide, but the number is likely much higher.<\/p>\n

When a crisis hits, countless people end up internally displaced or in bordering countries. In the past decade, some of the major flashpoints have been\u00a0Syria<\/a>, Turkey, Yemen and\u00a0Venezuela<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Ukraine is experiencing a similar mass displacement now, as many of its citizens seek refuge in other parts of the country or in neighbouring countries\u00a0such as Poland, Slovakia and Hungary<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Safe spaces for persecuted scholars<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Some scholars fleeing conflict also end up in Canada. The Government of Canada and Canadian academia needs a shared commitment to recognizing research \u2014 all disciplines \u2014 as a universal undertaking, and to providing safe spaces for persecuted scholars to continue their work.<\/p>\n

We are aware of numerous initiatives where some Canadian universities independently or\u00a0in partnership with NGOs<\/a>, provide\u00a0support<\/a>\u00a0to displaced researchers through lectureships, visiting professorships, lab assistant roles or postdoctoral fellowships. The support is short term, usually for one, two or three years.<\/p>\n

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SNSF strongly condemns the Russian invasion of #Ukraine<\/a> and will support researchers affected by the war. This includes supporting stays by Ukrainian researchers at Swiss higher education institutions via #ScholarsAtRisk<\/a>.https:\/\/t.co\/tF9GmS4MHl<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Swiss National Science Foundation (@snsf_ch) March 1, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n