At-Risk Scholars Initiative

Aims & Objectives

Contact

Manage (your) group membership

Further information

Outcomes

Mentoring and Membership Programmes

Since 2018, 35 mutually beneficial mentoring relationships between members of the GYA initiative and at-risk scholars have been established, leading to increased professional network connections and opportunities for at-risk scholars. Currently, 17 active mentoring relationships are ongoing and 18 have graduated from the program (as of September 2021).

Through our endorsement programme, 5 at-risk scholars have been successfully selected as new GYA members over three selection rounds from 2019 – 2021. Started as a pilot, the endorsement programme has now been made a permanent membership pathway to facilitate at-risk scholar membership in the GYA.

Looking forward, the At-Risk Scholars Initiative aims to expand the reach of career development workshops – in-person and online – in cooperation with partner organisations, including those that work with at-risk scholars in low- and middle-income countries.

Professional Development Workshops

3rd Professional development workshop for at-risk scholars at Wolfson College, University of Oxford (September 2022)
Second professional development workshop at Wolfson College, University of Oxford (September 2021).
Career options beyond academia, with SAR and IIE-SRF (June 2021).
Skills training workshop in collaboration with the EU Joint Research Centre (April 2019).
Professional development workshop at Wolfson College, University of Oxford (September 2019).
Webinar on “How to Support at-Risk Scholars” to discuss the new Science in Exile Declaration and future challenges with Dr Saja Alzoubi (Queen Mary University, Halifax, Canada, and GYA), Dr Peter McGrath (The World Academy of Sciences and Inter-Academy Partnership), and Professor Lisa Herzog (University of Groningen, The Netherlands, and GYA), chaired by Dr Estella Carpi (University College London, United Kingdom, and GYA) (May 2022).
- To sign the declaration, check the following link: Science in Exile – Sign the Declaration

Media and Publications

“Ukranian academics face exile, harassment and censorship in ongoing war”, The Conversation, March 2022

“The scientific knowledge being lost to conflict”, BBC, November 2021

GYA Declaration of Support for Afghan Scholars, August 2021

“Academic precarity is bad for everyone, but it’s even worse for scholars at risk” – Times Higher Education, November 2019

“Helping Refugees Continue their Scientific Work in Europe” -EU Joint Research Centre, April 2019

“Supporting displaced scholars through the At-Risk & Refugee Scholar Membership Initiative” – GYA Connections, May 2018

“Halifax would be a good home for refugee scholars, researcher says” – The Signal, 14 February 2018

Interview with Dr S. Karly Kehoe on CTV Atlantic, on outreach to refugee and at-risk scholars, CTV Atlantic, February 2018

“Science in Exile” – Film produced by The World Academy of Sciences, 12 February 2018

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“Supporting scholars seeking a new intellectual home – what can we do?” – The Research Whisperer, 5 December 2017

Collaborating organisations
We work with partner organisations to advance its aims and to identify promising post-Ph.D. scholars in any research-based discipline, including the sciences, medicine, engineering, social sciences, and the arts and humanities, who are approximately 30-43 years old and are currently residing in a foreign country because of safety issues in their home country, or asylum/refugee status.
Please note that all mentees in our programme are referred by partner organisations. Unfortunately, at this time, we are unable to serve scholars who are not referred by a partner organisation. If you would like to discuss partnership opportunities, please contact us.
IIE Scholar Rescue Fund (SRF)
Scholars at Risk (SAR)
Wolfson College, University of Oxford
Council for At-Risk Academics (cara)
Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation’s Philipp Schwartz Initiative
The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS)
The E.U. Joint Research Centre (JRC)
Young Academy of Scotland, At-Risk Academics & Refugee Membership Programme
Science in Exile (ISC, IAP and TWAS project)
Resources
Ukraine response: resources for scholars
List of laboratories and institutes offering to help scientists forced to flee from Ukraine (google).
Fellowship programme for Ukrainian scholars at Technical University Munich (TUM).
Collection of links – support in Europe by ALLEA.
Call for fellowships for Ukrainian scholars University Graz (Austria).
Mental heath in emergencies kit (MHPSS Network).
Collection of contacts in different countries: Science for Ukraine – Team
Fellowship opportunity (Denmark).
Collection of resources by InterAcademy Partnership.
Fellowships at Tel Aviv University.
Support at Vilnius University, Estonia.
Resource collection for various ways to help Ukraine and scientists and artists from Ukraine.
How can you help? Resources for the Academic Community
Encourage your research institution to host an at-risk scholar through one of the fellowship or scholarship programmes listed above. Find information on hosting in this handbook: How_to_Host.pdf (scholarsatrisk.org)
Join the IIE-SRF Alliance, a global network of partners who offer practical support to threatened and displaced scholars;
(Young) scientists can provide valuable mentoring and advice to individuals. We encourage all science organisations and academies to consider even small ways to positively impact the lives and careers of scholars at risk.
Donate to support GYA At-Risk Scholars Initiative workshops. More information here: Donate – Global Young Academy
Afghanistan response: information for scholars and host institutions
Afghanistan Response Information (iie.org)
Urgent Calls for Help from Afghanistan | Scholars at Risk
How to support Afghan scientists and scholars (interacademies.org)
GYA Declaration of Support for Afghan Scholars
Scholarship and fellowship programmes
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation’s Philipp Schwartz Initiative
IIE Scholar Rescue Fund (SRF)
Council for At-Risk Academics (cara)
Scholars at Risk (SAR)
PAUSE (French hosting programme)
Harvard Scholars at Risk

Other Resources
AuthorAID offers free resources, mentoring and online courses on writing in science, the social sciences, and grant writing.
Science for Refugees: European Commission online resource for job search in EU countries.
EU Joint Research Centre: jobs in research, trainee positions, doctoral partnerships etc are often open to non EU citizens, and advertised regularly here: Science-hub.
Refugees Welcome Map: an inventory of higher education supporting refugees.
The Tent Partnership for Refugees works closely with businesses to help them identify and understand opportunities to help refugees.
University Alliance on Refugees and At-Risk Migrants: A Rutgers-based initiative to bring together the university community to empower and protect at-risk and refugee students.
The New School University in Exile Consortium: a university consortium committed to supporting at-risk scholars. (also see the consortium’s SourceBook – a searchable database of resources for endangered scholars: SourceBook | The New University in Exile ConsortiumThe New University in Exile Consortium)
Students at Risk – Hilde Domin Programme – DAAD – for students & doctoral students.
Article 26 Backpack – an online tool for academic mobility. Scholars affected by war, conflict or economic conditions may upload documents here.
Extensive resources list (PDF here) by TWAS-ISC-IAP “Science in Exile” project.