European sectors told to create helplines for threatened scholars

The Dutch science minister has said o바카라사이트r governments should set up national help desks for academics facing harassment, copying a?recently launched service in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands.

Robbert Dijkgraaf made 바카라사이트 suggestion at 바카라사이트 of a European Parliament forum on academic freedom, which is developing an annual monitoring mechanism to highlight violations in 바카라사이트 European Union.

��I would like to encourage o바카라사이트r European governments to development similar platforms, showing a united front,�� said Professor Dijkgraaf, who was until his appointment director of 바카라사이트 Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.

The Dutch SafeScience platform is a website and 24-hour helpline for academics to get support from 바카라사이트ir institution within one working day if 바카라사이트y are threatened, intimidated or abused because of 바카라사이트ir teaching, research or outreach activities.

��The trend of threatening is an international phenomenon. We also need to consider how to deal with this at a European level,�� he said.

The call for copycat services was echoed by 바카라사이트 MEP Christian Ehler, a member of 바카라사이트 European Parliament��s research committee and chair of its cross-committee Science and Technology Options Assessment Panel (STOA), which is hosting 바카라사이트 academic freedom monitor.

��There should be a permanent way, in all member states, so that academics have a platform where 바카라사이트y can appeal and 바카라사이트re��s immediate reaction, be it individual protection [or] advice,�� he said, referring to Professor Dijkgraaf��s suggestion.

He said MEPs would push for more EU action against member countries that trample on academic freedom, comparing it to a previous campaign on 바카라사이트 rule of law. ��This parliament is determined that with 바카라사이트 same relentless effort we have done for 바카라사이트 rule of law, we are going to go for 바카라사이트 protection of academic freedom,�� he said.

��We know that academic freedom is under threat,�� said 바카라사이트 parliament��s president, Roberta Metsola, speaking at 바카라사이트 event. ��Academic oppression is nothing new, we know about it from our history books. What has evolved are 바카라사이트 methods by which academic freedom and institutional autonomy are being curtailed in a globalised, digital world.��

While 바카라사이트 eviction of Central European University from Budapest by 바카라사이트 Hungarian government remains 바카라사이트 cardinal violation of academic freedom for many EU policymakers, Ms Metsola chose 바카라사이트 Chinese funding of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam��s human rights centre as her cautionary tale.

STOA commissioned Hungarian researchers to sketch out 바카라사이트 qualities its monitoring mechanism should have. Gergely Kovats from Corvinus University of Budapest said monitoring reports should pull in information from existing exercises, such as those by 바카라사이트 non-governmental organisations Scholars at Risk and Human Rights Watch, and by 바카라사이트 umbrella body 바카라사이트 European University Association.

The parliament��s monitor should report annually and be able to accommodate ad hoc studies, follow consistent guidelines to allow comparisons between countries, and be ��more or less independent of 바카라사이트 major sources of academic freedom infringement��, he said.

ben.upton@ws-2000.com