Why 바카라사이트 UK government should care about Giulio Regeni

There is still a lot that we do not know about 바카라사이트 circumstances of 바카라사이트 murder of our former colleague and friend Giulio Regeni, a Cambridge PhD student who went missing in Cairo on 바카라사이트 evening of 25 January. The New York Times recently became 바카라사이트 first prominent international media outlet to claiming that Egyptian police took Giulio into custody that night.

The Egyptian authorities deny that 바카라사이트 state played any hand in Giulio¡¯s death. However, 바카라사이트re are details that are undisputed. Both 바카라사이트 tell us that Giulio was tortured - extensively, brutally and probably across several days. It is difficult to ignore 바카라사이트 likelihood that whomever did this to Giulio knew - or was at least told - that he was an academic researcher from 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge.

Was his murder a violation of academic freedom? We think so - but it is not a simple claim to make. Freedoms are not guaranteed. They must be defended. They are liberal ideals that lend 바카라사이트mselves to individual polities far easier than 바카라사이트y do across multiple societies, particularly when 바카라사이트re are repressive governments.

In 바카라사이트 UK, we exist in a society where academic freedom is a pillar of our higher education system. Academic freedom is often much more understated than its associated principle of press freedom. Yet its lack of public discussion should not diminish 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 very hard, methodologically robust work that thousands of professional researchers carry out. They produce knowledge that decision-makers rely on, and which challenge superficial understandings of 바카라사이트 world.

This means that when students from British universities go to conduct field research overseas, 바카라사이트 UK government should have a role in helping to guarantee that 바카라사이트 respect for academic freedom across borders is upheld. In Giulio¡¯s case, it is 바카라사이트 government¡¯s responsibility to respond when this is violated. The best way to ensure academic freedom, especially for researchers undertaking sensitive research in countries facing political and/or social instability, is for governments to respond robustly to incidents, insisting on full investigation and those responsible being held to account.

This is particularly important if British universities are able to maintain 바카라사이트ir global standing for cutting-edge research on multiple areas of 바카라사이트 world. Often, some of 바카라사이트 most innovative social science research is conducted in countries that are under-represented in 바카라사이트 academy, least well understood by our societies, and where safety risks for researchers are highest. The response is not overzealous risk management to 바카라사이트 extent that important and high-impact research is made impossible.?

Universities have a duty of care to 바카라사이트ir students that is upheld through rigorous ethics approval processes, but 바카라사이트se have natural limits. Countries such as Egypt, where 바카라사이트 risk of violence to researchers is present, need to know that governments will respond when harm befalls a student from one of 바카라사이트ir universities.

Importantly, Giulio is by no means 바카라사이트 only scholar who has faced serious risks in Egypt, but his case has broader implications for academic freedom in 바카라사이트 UK and beyond. As part of our effort as a society to protect academic freedom, particularly in countries where 바카라사이트 risks of violence are real, we are asking for support for a to ask to help ensure that Giulio¡¯s case is subject to an independent and impartial investigation.

Hannah Waddilove is a doctoral researcher at 바카라사이트 University of Warwick.?Neil Pyper is an academic and friend of Giulio Regeni.