News & Events

News and Events

August 18, 2021

The Afghanistan emergency and IIE-SRF’s response

By IIE-SRF staff

IIE-SRF is gravely concerned about, and deeply saddened by, the situation in Afghanistan. We are receiving many requests for assistance amidst the ongoing crisis and are deploying all of the resources at our disposal to assist vulnerable academics and to identify academic opportunities for them outside of Afghanistan.

Since mid-August, IIE-SRF has awarded multiple emergency fellowships to brave and talented Afghan scholars, and we will be seeking to identify university hosts for these scholars in the weeks and months ahead.

We welcome universities, donors, and other partners to join us in this effort to secure safety and provide practical opportunities to Afghan scholars by:

  • Referring qualified scholars who are facing threats to their lives or careers (review our eligibility criteria and application instructions in the above link)
  • Making a donation to IIE-SRF to help enable us to respond to the crisis
  • Taking the first step in hosting an IIE-SRF scholar by joining the IIE-SRF Allianceour global network of partners who offer practical support – such as temporary academic positions – to threatened and displaced scholars

Are you interested in working with us to support Afghan academics, but not sure where to start? Email us at IIE-SRFAlliance@iie.org.

We look forward to working together with current and new partners and donors to help these scholars safely resume their teaching and research.

In addition to IIE-SRF’s efforts, IIE is launching the IIE Afghanistan Crisis Response to support students and scholars threatened by these events. To learn more about IIE’s response and provide support, visit the IIE Announcements page.

June 29, 2021

UNESCO-TWAS / IsDB program for displaced scientists selects eight IIE-SRF scholars from Syria and Yemen

The World Academy of Sciences

IIE-SRF and UNESCO-The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) are delighted to announce that eight IIE-SRF scholars from Syria and Yemen have been selected for the TWAS-Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Young Refugee and Displaced Scientists Programme! These academics, whose fields of study span the STEM disciplines, will join the TWAS Young Affiliates Network (TYAN), which comprises outstanding young scientific researchers from developing countries. TYAN facilitates participation in TWAS meetings and conferences and offers access to competitive opportunities, including grants and awards. The Young Refugee and Displaced Scientists Programme was developed by The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) in consultation with IIE-SRF in order to help address the unique and substantial challenges faced by scholars displaced from their home countries.

“Throughout the past few years, IIE-SRF has collaborated with TWAS to raise awareness of the large number of threatened and displaced scientists globally and to help these scholars gain access to the networks they need to reestablish their careers and resume their important work,” says IIE-SRF Director James Robin King. “We are thrilled to continue our ongoing partnership with UNESCO-TWAS and IsDB on the Refugee and Displaced Scientists Programme, which provides select IIE-SRF scholars with critical opportunities that are difficult, often impossible, to access for scientists who have been forced to relocate and navigate new academic environments.”

In a recent article, two of the IIE-SRF scholars selected for the Young Refugee and Displaced Scientists Programme – Dr. Nada Abdulwali of Yemen and Dr. Hasan Aljabbouli of Syria – spoke with TWAS about the challenges threatened academics face amidst conflict and when integrating into a new academic systems abroad. They also discussed the ways in which programs like IIE-SRF and TWAS Young Affiliates can help displaced scientists gain access to new resources and networks while also providing opportunities to collaborate on key issues, support other academics in need, and strategize on the rebuilding of higher education systems and infrastructure in their home countries. “At IsDB-TWAS workshops, we [have] met with several scholars from different countries and exchanged ideas and points of view,” says Dr. Abdulwali, a woman scholar of physical chemistry currently undertaking an IIE-SRF fellowship appointment at the University of Guelph in Canada. “This programme allows members to discuss the strategy to help scientists who remain at risk.” Dr. Aljabbouli, a computer scientist who undertook IIE-SRF fellowships at New Jersey City University in the U.S. and now holds a position at New York University, considers how the program can serve as a springboard for new endeavors. “I am filled with hope that I will be able to exchange knowledge with others, contribute more to the community, and help rebuild my destroyed country in the future,” he says.

June 9, 2021

Announcing IIE-SRF Europe!

By IIE-SRF staff

We are delighted to announce the opening of IIE-SRF Europe! Scheduled to open in the autumn of 2021, the office will be located in Brussels, Belgium.

IIE-SRF Europe will enable IIE-SRF to establish physical roots on the continent that has played an essential role in our efforts to support threatened and displaced scholars, particularly in recent years. While IIE-SRF’s partnerships span six continents, our partners across Europe have been integral to the program’s work. Since 2002, we have partnered with 139 higher education institutions in 22 European countries to support 179 fellows from 30 countries. In 2020, nearly one-third of IIE-SRF’s placements were inside Europe.

“We’re so excited to establish a home for IIE-SRF in Europe,” says IIE-SRF Assistant Director Emily Borzcik, who will lead the office. “We highly value our relationships with partners and institutions in Europe and look forward to working more closely to support scholars across the continent and to develop new, sustainable programming.”

May 13, 2021

The Long-Term Outlook for Displaced Scholars

Inside Higher Education
By Elizabeth Redden

Inside Higher Education’s article on May 13, 2021 explores the IIE-SRF alumni impact study.

May 8, 2021

‘Continued urgent need’ to support displaced academics

Times Higher Education
By Matthew Reisz

The Times Higher Education’s article on May 8, 2021 showcases the IIE-SRF alumni impact study as well as the stories of IIE-SRF alumni who have enriched both their host and home communities.

May 6, 2021

The enduring impact of IIE-SRF scholars on communities worldwide: An IIE-SRF Dialogues Webinar

By IIE-SRF staff

Join us on Tuesday, May 25 as IIE-SRF alumni from Iraq, Kenya, Russia, and Syria share their experiences: Register here

Every day, scholars improve our world through their work as experts, educators, and change agents. IIE-SRF and its partners strive to ensure that academics threatened by persecution and violence are able to continue advancing scientific knowledge and striving for more just societies, both during and after their fellowships.

Our recently released study, To Rescue Scholars is to Rescue the Future, offers a big-picture view of the remarkable post-fellowship impacts and accomplishments of more than 200 IIE-SRF alumni from 38 countries who are making a difference in their host, home, and academic communities. Now, we invite you to join us for a more in-depth look at the lives and work of four of IIE-SRF’s courageous and talented alumni in our upcoming webinar, “The Enduring Impact of IIE-SRF Scholars on Communities Worldwide“, which will take place on Tuesday, May 25 from 12-1 pm Eastern Time (UTC-04:00). The webinar – the third in our IIE-SRF Dialogues series – will focus on the academic and personal journeys of program alumni from Iraq, Kenya, Russia, and Syria. The discussion will feature:

  • Dr. Amal Alachkar of Syria. Dr. Alachkar is a neuroscientist who conducts research on the brain’s biological and chemical mechanisms that underlie psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders, such as depression, schizophrenia, autism, and Parkinson’s disease. She undertook IIE-SRF fellowships from 2012 to 2014 at the University of California, Irvine, where she is now hosting an IIE-SRF scholar of medical biochemistry within her Alachkar Lab.
  • Dr. Akram Ezzat of Iraq. Dr. Ezzat is a scholar of mechanical engineering whose academic work focuses on topics such as heat transfer, renewable energy, fluid mechanics, engineering measurements and instrumentation, and engineering safety analysis. After completing IIE-SRF fellowships at the American University of Madaba in Jordan from 2014 to 2016, he returned to Baghdad University, where he is currently a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. In 2018, he undertook a visiting position at Alelaide University in Australia.
  • Dr. Eunice Kamaara of Kenya. Dr. Kamaara is a professor at Moi University in Kenya. After undertaking an IIE-SRF fellowship from 2008 to 2009 at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, she returned to Moi and has collaborated on research projects with universities worldwide, particularly on the intersection between religion / spirituality, health, and ethics.
  • Dr. Sufian Zhemukhov of Russia. Dr. Zhemukhov is a political scientist who studies conflict resolution and tolerance among diverse groups in the Muslim world. He undertook IIE-SRF fellowships from 2011 to 2013 at The George Washington University, where he continues to teach and conduct research. He is also an award-winning comedic storyteller, sharing his personal experiences growing up in Russia’s North Caucuses and now living and working in the U.S.

 

We hope to see you at the webinar! Register here.

About IIE-SRF Dialogues: “The enduring impact of IIE-SRF scholars on communities worldwide” is the third session of IIE-SRF’s 2021 webinar series IIE-SRF Dialogues. Webinars in this series explore the threats facing academics globally as well as the ongoing efforts to help these scholars resume their work and rebuild their lives and careers. These hour-long discussions feature IIE-SRF fellows and alumni, IIE-SRF partners, and other experts discussing the world’s most urgent higher education emergencies, key topics related to academic freedom, and best practices in assisting threatened and displaced scholars as identified by IIE-SRF and our Alliance partners. You can view our prior webinars using the below links:
» Attacks on Higher Education, co-hosted by the Global Coalition to Prevent Education from Attack (GCPEA)
» Yemen’s Higher Education Crisis, co-hosted by the Association for Yemeni Academics & Professionals (AYAP)

About IIE-SRF: The Institute of International Education’s Scholar Rescue Fund (IIE-SRF) is the only global program that arranges and funds fellowships for threatened and displaced scholars at partnering higher education institutions worldwide. Since its founding in 2002, IIE-SRF has supported over 900 scholars from 60 countries in partnership with more than 430 host institutions in 50 countries. As IIE-SRF’s April 2021 alumni study demonstrates, these scholars have through their research, teaching, and advocacy continued to impact their home countries, host communities, and academic fields well beyond the completion of their IIE-SRF fellowships.

April 30, 2021

IIE study assesses impact of Scholar Rescue Fund

The PIE News
By Callan Quinn

PIE News assesses the IIE-SRF impact study, To Rescue Scholars is to Rescue the Future, in its April 30, 2021 article.

April 22, 2021

To Rescue Scholars is to Rescue the Future: An Impact Study of the IIE Scholar Rescue Fund (2002-2020)

By IIE-SRF staff

In 2002, IIE’s trustees launched the Scholar Rescue Fund (IIE-SRF) as the only global program that arranges and funds academic fellowships for threatened and displaced scholars worldwide. Nearly twenty years later, we are delighted to release a new study – made possible through the generous support of IIE Chairman Emeritus and IIE-SRF co-founder Dr. Henry Kaufman – that documents the far-reaching impacts and achievements of over 200 IIE-SRF alumni from 38 countries on their host and home communities and academic disciplines.

March 16, 2021

Partner spotlight: Stanford University’s long history of support for threatened and displaced scholars

Stanford Today
By Melissa De Witte

Image: Felix Bloch

For nearly a century, Stanford University and IIE have partnered in support of academics facing civil conflict or persecution for their scholarship or identities. A new Stanford Today article traces the history of this partnership, beginning in the 1930s, when Stanford and IIE provided refuge to European scholars facing Nazi persecution. The university offered safe haven to luminaries such as Felix Bloch, a celebrated physicist who was aided by IIE’s Emergency Committee in Aid of Displaced Foreign Scholars after he fled Germany amidst Adolf Hitler’s rise to power. Dr. Bloch later won a Nobel Prize for his research conducted at the university on nuclear magnetic resonance, the science behind the MRI. In the 1980s, Stanford worked with IIE’s South Africa Education Program (SAEP) to host Black South African students denied access to education under apartheid. One SAEP student who completed a Ph.D. at Stanford, Jonathan Jansen, returned to South Africa to become the first Black president of the University of the Free State, a historically white-only institution that was desegregated after the end of apartheid.

Since 2006, Stanford has served as a dedicated IIE-SRF host partner, bringing to campus 11 fellows facing threats to their lives or careers. The scholars, whose academic disciplines span the humanities and social sciences, have hailed from eight countries, including Belarus, China, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Serbia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Zimbabwe. More than half of the scholars have been supported through the university’s Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies (CREEES). Dr. Jovana Lazić Knežević, the associate director of CREES, explains that just as IIE-SRF scholars find Stanford’s support to be valuable, the Stanford community benefits from their presence as well. “One of the things that’s really valuable about bringing these scholars to Stanford is that we learn from them,” says Dr. Knežević. “We benefit from the ideas they bring from different parts of the globe, but also from their experiences of what it’s like to live and work in a society that doesn’t afford them the same kind of freedom of thought and expression.”

March 10, 2021

Yemen’s Higher Education Crisis: An IIE-SRF Dialogues Webinar

By IIE-SRF staff

Image: Taiz, Yemen

Join us on Thursday, March 25 for a discussion hosted by IIE-SRF and the Association for Yemeni Academics & Professionals: Register here

Yemen faces the world’s most urgent humanitarian crisis and higher education emergency. The country’s university system has been decimated by six years of armed conflict, making education and scientific research practically unattainable. Scores of university buildings have been destroyed or seriously damaged, and many scientific centers have ceased operations. Throughout the country, violations of academic freedom and personal rights are commonplace. Yemeni professors risk dismissal, imprisonment, or violence for speaking out against corrupt practices on university campuses, and many face persecution simply based on their identities or family names. The employees of public universities in many regions have not received their salaries for several years. In 2020, nearly half of all requests for support to IIE’s Scholar Rescue Fund (IIE-SRF) came from Yemeni scholars.

Yemen’s Higher Education Crisis” – the second webinar of the IIE-SRF Dialogues series – will focus on Yemen’s higher education emergency and its impact on university professionals. Scholars from Yemen who have directly experienced the crisis will share their stories and offer insights on the unique challenges facing Yemeni women academics. The webinar will be co-hosted by IIE-SRF and the Association for Yemeni Academics & Professionals (AYAP), a newly formed non-profit that brings together Yemeni academics and professionals from around the world to create and support opportunities for Yemen’s development, growth, and sustainability. The discussion will take place on Thursday, March 25 from 10-11 am Eastern Time (UTC-04:00). It will feature:

  • James Robin King: IIE-SRF’s Director
  • Dr. Shaker Lashuel: AYAP board member
  • Dr. Mohammed Almahfali: IIE-SRF alumnus from Yemen and AYAP board member; currently based at Lund University’s Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies
  • Dr. Arwa Aleryani: formerly of Saba University in Sana’a, Yemen, currently an independent researcher in Canada
  • A Q&A session for participants

We hope to see you there! Register here.

About IIE-SRF Dialogues: “Yemen’s Higher Education Crisis” is the second session of IIE-SRF’s 2021 webinar series IIE-SRF Dialogues. Webinars in this series explore the threats facing academics globally as well as the ongoing efforts to help these scholars resume their work and rebuild their lives and careers. These hour-long discussions feature IIE-SRF fellows and alumni, IIE-SRF partners, and other experts discussing the world’s most urgent higher education emergencies, key topics related to academic freedom, and best practices in assisting threatened and displaced scholars as identified by IIE-SRF and our Alliance partners. The first webinar, “Attacks on Higher Education,” was co-hosted by the Global Coalition to Prevent Education from Attack (GCPEA) and featured IIE-SRF alumnus Dr. Hasan Maridi of Yemen. A recording can be viewed here.

About IIE-SRF: The Institute of International Education’s Scholar Rescue Fund (IIE-SRF) is the only global program that arranges and funds fellowships for threatened and displaced scholars at partnering higher education institutions worldwide. IIE-SRF is committed to supporting Yemeni academics facing threats to their lives and careers and has awarded 100 academic fellowships to more than 70 of the country’s professors and researchers. In 2020, Yemeni scholars undertook IIE-SRF fellowships at host universities in 11 countries. Nearly two-thirds of these fellowships were undertaken within the Arab region.