Scholars face global ¡®crisis¡¯ of attacks, report warns

Academics and students around 바카라사이트 world face a ¡°crisis¡± of assaults and persecution that appears to be getting worse, an international network has warned.

The from New York-based Scholars at Risk counts 158 reported attacks on higher education communities in 35 countries between May 2015 and September 2016, including 40 cases involving killings, violence or disappearances.

This compares with 바카라사이트 333 incidents that were chronicled in 바카라사이트 organisation¡¯s previous report, which covered a much longer period, from January 2011 to May 2015.

Even allowing for 바카라사이트 patchiness of data on this issue, Robert Quinn, 바카라사이트 executive director of Scholars at Risk, said it was a worrying picture.

¡°We are living at a time of crisis of attacks on higher education and things have sadly been getting worse over 바카라사이트 last 18 months,¡± he said.

The report lists 19 violent attacks by militant groups that led to at least 48 deaths, including 바카라사이트 January 2016 raid on Bacha Khan University in Pakistan that resulted in 22 fatalities, 바카라사이트 August 2016 assault on 바카라사이트 American University of Afghanistan that killed at least 13, and 바카라사이트 October 2015 bombing of Yemen¡¯s University of Aden.

It also details a series of attacks on individuals, including 바카라사이트 public beheading of Syrian archaeologist Khaled al-Asaad by Islamic State militants and 바카라사이트 murders of scholars in India and Bangladesh, apparently on account of 바카라사이트 victims¡¯ religious views.

The report counts 39 cases of imprisonment, 33 prosecutions and 17 cases of loss of position, with 바카라사이트 situation in Turkey after an attempted coup in July 2016 a particular concern.

The mass suspension of 1,577 deans, 바카라사이트 dismissal of 2,346 academics for alleged ties to 바카라사이트 rebellion and 바카라사이트 closure of 15 private universities risk ¡°isolating Turkish scholars, students and institutions from 바카라사이트 international flow of ideas and talent¡± and could undermine Turkey¡¯s ¡°stature in 바카라사이트 world more generally¡±, 바카라사이트 report warns.

Meanwhile, continuing oppression in Egypt, including 바카라사이트 murder of University of Cambridge PhD student Giulio Regeni, remains a major concern. While 바카라사이트 situation in 바카라사이트 country appears calmer than it was, this may partly reflect 바카라사이트 fact that thousands of students and hundreds of scholars remain imprisoned, 바카라사이트 report says.

Mr Quinn said 바카라사이트 Turkish case was particularly worrying because it represented 바카라사이트 criminalisation of free thought and 바카라사이트 equating of critical inquiry with disloyalty in a country that had previously put significant weight on internationalisation and academic freedom.

¡°Global higher education needs to respond to that because that is an extremely dangerous, viral concept if it gets accepted at state level,¡± Mr Quinn said.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com?