This academic year marks the 25th anniversary of Scholars at Risk This year marks 25 years of Scholars at Risk internationally and 15 years in Norway. To mark the occasion, we invite you to a seminar based on the newly released Free to Think 2025 report.
The report documents a sharp rise in attacks on scholars, students, and universities worldwide — not only in authoritarian states, but increasingly within established democracies. These developments raise important questions for Norway: How should we respond, and what responsibilities do we have as part of the global academic community?
At this seminar, Free to Think 2025 will provide the backdrop for a discussion on how Norwegian academia can support colleagues under threat, strengthen our own institutions against illiberal pressures, and safeguard academic freedom at home and internationally.
Program:
09:30: The state of academic freedom in 2025: Lecture with Amy Kapit, author of Free to Think
10.30: Break
10:45: Panel: How do we counter the growing attacks on academic freedom?
- Amy Kapit. Senior Programs Advisor for Advocacy at SAR and author of Free to Think 2025
- Marte C. W. Solheim, Pro-Rector for Innovation and Society, University of Stavanger
- Hande Eslen Ziya, Professor of Sociology at the University of Stavanger
- Karen-Lise Scheie Knudsen, former Chair of SAR Norway, University of Agder
Moderator: Henriette Reierson Johnstone, President of SAIH
11:30: Academic freedom in the Nordics with Jon Wikene Iddeng, Forskerforbundet
11:45: Closing remarks
12:00: Light lunch
Free to Think is an annual report by Scholars at Risk’s Academic Freedom Monitoring Project. The report explores concerning trends in attacks on higher education communities around the world, with the aim of raising awareness and urging diverse state and non-state stakeholders to join in protecting and promoting academic freedom.
Also check out other Workshops in Stavanger, Arts events in Stavanger, Literary Art events in Stavanger.
