GYA At-Risk Scholars Initiative co-lead Saja Al Zoubi (Saint Mary’s University, Canada) spoke at the Canadian Science Policy Conference 2023 in November 2023. The conference brought together key stakeholders from the science and innovation communities—across various regions, sectors, and generations—to collectively discuss current emerging issues and how science, innovation, society, and public policy can play a role in the path towards sustainability.
Saja spoke as a panelist at the event on a session titled “Science for Social Justice: Advancing the agenda set by the 2022 Cape Town World Science Forum”, together with representatives from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the International Network for Government Science Advice (INGSA) among others. This panel reviewed the outcomes of the WSF, including the Declaration on Science for Social Justice. During this session, Saja highlighted the importance of bridging peace, science, and societies to achieve social justice in science, a goal which is embedded in the GYA’s self-image. Saja further clarified the GYA’s support of attracting diversity in its membership, in order to enrich the scientific environment and to create opportunities for qualified scholars all over the world.
The next week in Ottawa, Saja spoke at the Scholars At Risk Summit: Freedom to Think Conference. This event was a cooperation between the Scholars At Risk initiative at Carleton University, Ottawa (SAR Carleton), the Scholars at Risk Network (SAR Network), SAR Canada, the Institute of International Education Scholar Rescue Fund (IIE- SRF), the Middle East Studies Association Global Academy (MESA), and the Alexander Von Humboldt Foundation.
Saja presented on the work of the GYA At-Risk Scholars Initiative (ARSI), and how it aims to benefit those scholars who have fled their countries looking for safety, security and a way to pursue their knowledge production and contribute to their host country. She examined the goals, outcomes, and the partners of ARSI. Finally, she recalled the need for collective efforts to support at-risk scholars who are not only themselves at risk, but can be of immense value to the institutions they belong to and the new countries they live in.
Read more about the GYA At-Risk Scholars Inititative here.
