Defending Academic Freedom by supporting Students at Risk. Towards a European approach?

As the tense situation in Belarus - and more recently in Afghanistan - have accentuated the need to support student human rights activists at risk of persecution in their home countries, several European countries react to this need with support programmes or schemes. European stakeholders have pronounced calls for action at European level, coordinating efforts to defend academic freedom as a core European value by supporting students at risk.

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has recently started a scholarship programme for students at risk (Hilde Domin Programme); the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir) has a students at risk-programme running since 2013; and the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) has started a programme targeting students at risk from Belarus.

On 16 November 2021, the three organisations are organising a joint event, targeting European policy makers and stakeholders, to

inform about national programmes protecting students at risk;
give a voice to students, who have benefitted from these existing programmes;
explore possibilities at European level to complement, coordinate and expand the support for academic freedom and, in particular, for students at risk.