Virtual Conference - Free to Think 2020: Responding to Attacks on Higher Education

Scholars at Risk invites participation in “Free to Think 2020: Responding to Attacks on Higher Education,” a virtual conference marking SAR’s 20th anniversary and the release of our annual monitoring report, Free to Think 2020. 

“Within the COVID-19 crisis we see increased threats to scholars, students, and universities—even to truth itself,” says SAR’s Executive Director, Robert Quinn. “We see scholars threatened for sharing evidence-based research that contradicts official sources. We see growing pressures on scholars documenting gaps in response efforts. And we see authorities use the pandemic to hide crackdowns on free inquiry and expression generally.  COVID-19 shows us the  imperative of responding forcefully to these threats—our lives literally depend on it.”

The event will also feature the presentation of SAR’s 2020 Courage to Think Award, which may be given to an individual or group, including those who have experienced threats personally, those who have worked to assist them, or those who work to promote a wider understanding of, and respect for, academic freedom and related values. 

This year’s report draws on data from SAR’s Academic Freedom Monitoring Project, which documented more than 195 attacks on higher education between September 1, 2019 and August 31, 2020. These include violent attacks on higher education communities; wrongful imprisonments and prosecutions of scholars; pressures on student expression; legislative and administrative threats; and COVID-related issues. 

Join Scholars at Risk, of which CONAHEC is a member, on November 19th for the launch of Free to Think 2020, SAR's annual report on attacks on higher education communities.

Register today: https://scholarsatrisk.eventcreate.com/