Scholars at Risk (SAR) uOttawa

Provide sanctuary and assistance to threatened scholars around the world.

Your contribution to the Scholars at Risk Program Fund
will help advance freedom of thoughts.

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Protecting Freedom of Thought

About SAR uOttawa

The University of Ottawa joined the Scholars at Risk (SAR) Network in 2014.

Scholars at Risk (SAR) is an international network of higher education institutions dedicated to protecting threatened scholars, preventing attacks on higher education communities and promoting academic freedom worldwide. The network protects scholars suffering grave threats to their lives, liberty and well-being by arranging positions of sanctuary at institutions in the network.

HRREC manages the SAR uOttawa Program. The program is supported by the Association of Professors of the University of Ottawa (APUO). Assistant Director, Viviana Fernandez, chairs the SAR Canada Section's Steering Committee and represents the University in the SAR International Advisory Committee.

• Learn more about the Scholars a Risk (SAR) uOttawa Program.
• In June 2015, SAR released the first report of their Academic Freedom Monitoring Project documenting attacks on higher education communities. uOttawa is engaged in this effort through the Human Rights Clinic since 2018 and contributes to the Free to Think Report through the monitoring of seven countries in the Americas.
• In June 2020, the HRREC Human Rights Clinic submitted a report to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression to support the upcoming report on the Rights to Academic Freedom. Read the Report "Threats to Academic Freedom in the Americas" here (PDF in English).
• Spotlight on “Dangerous Questions: Why Academic Freedom Matters”. Read about the free massive open online course (MOOC) "Dangerous Questions: Why Academic Freedom Matters".
• To learn more about the Scholars at Risk (SAR) Network, you can watch this video.
• To contact the SAR Program at uOttawa, please write to scholarsatrisk@uottawa.ca.

SAR uOttawa Events

• July 9, 2020 - Academic Freedom, Research & Democratic Values: A Latin American Perspective | Online event in Spanish.
• July 7, 2020 - Academic Freedom, Research & Democratic Values: A Latin American Perspective | Online event in English.
• March 3, 2020 - Free to Think 2019: Academic Freedom Monitoring in the Americas | Fauteux Hall - FTX570 (57 Louis-Pasteur Private) | University of Ottawa
• December 10, 2019 - Detention Camps in Xinjiang: A Human Rights Appraisal | Fauteux Hall - FTX570 (57 Louis-Pasteur Private) | University of Ottawa
• November 1^st, 2019 - Challenges to Academic Freedom in Brazil and Similar Trends in Latin America | Fauteux Hall - FTX570 (57 Louis-Pasteur Private) | University of Ottawa
• April 5, 2019 - Combining Scholarship and Activism: Challenges and Opportunity | Fauteux Hall - FTX570 (57 Louis-Pasteur Private) | University of Ottawa
• March 5, 2019 - The Assault on Public Opinion: 20 Years of Besieged Freedom of Speech in Venezuela | Fauteux Hall - FTX570 (57 Louis-Pasteur Private) | University of Ottawa
• February 26, 2019 - SCIENCE, a Human Right Fauteux Hall - FTX570 (57 Louis-Pasteur Private) | University of Ottawa
• November 21, 2018 - Academic Freedom under Attack: The Cases of Venezuela, Turkey & Nicaragua | Vanier Hall - VNR1050 (136 Jean-Jacques-Lussier Private) | University of Ottawa
• September 27, 2018 - Book Launch - Poverty Alleviation and Poverty of Aid: Pakistan | Fauteux Hall - FTX570 (57 Louis-Pasteur Private) | University of Ottawa
• May 10, 2018 - Academic Freedom in Venezuela: Crisis Affecting Scholars and Students | University of Ottawa | By invitation only.
• April 23 to 26, 2018 - Scholars at Risk Network 2018 Global Congress | Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
• April 5, 2018 - Minority Languages in Iran from the Perspective of Language Rights: The Kurdish Case | Fauteux Hall - FTX570 (57 Louis-Pasteur Private) | University of Ottawa
• March 9, 2018 - Meet Rahim Surkhi, Scholar at Risk Hosted at uOttawa | Fauteux Hall - FTX570 (57 Louis-Pasteur Private) | University of Ottawa
• December 11, 2017 - Celebrating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on Parliament Hill
  This annual event is organized by the Steering Committee of our Canadian Section with the support of Gary Anandasangaree (Liberal MP for Scarborough-Rouge Park), Peter Kent (Conservative MP for Thornhill) and Murray Rankin (NDP MP for Victoria). On this day, we recognize the work that SAR does in protecting scholars and advocating for academic freedom. The event included a luncheon in the Parliamentary restaurant with remarks from Dr. Surkhi, a SAR Scholar hosted by the University of Ottawa and Carleton University.
• November 2, 2017 - Protecting Academic Freedom at Home and Abroad | Fauteux Hall - FTX302 (57 Louis-Pasteur Private) | University of Ottawa
• November 2, 2017 - Panel on "Science at Risk" on the importance of science and its contributions to inform public policy and what can Canada do to counter some of the most dangerous trends within the Canadian Science Policy Conference 2017.
• December 8, 2016 - Academic Freedom in a Volatile World | Fauteux Hall - FTX570 (57 Louis-Pasteur Private) | University of Ottawa
• December 8, 2016 - Scholars at Risk Network (SAR) Recognized at the Canadian Parliament | Canadian Parliament (RCR Building - 1 Wellington Street, Room C-180)
• November 9, 2016 - Keynote Session on Science, Human Rights and Academic Freedom with speakers: Irwin Cotler, Homa Hoodfar, Ian Semeniuk and Viviana Fernandez | 8^th Canadian Science Policy Conference
• June 8-10, 2016 - Scholars at Risk Network 2016 Global Congress | View the presentations on YouTube | McGill University
• June 2016 - In June 2015, SAR released the first Free to Think, a report of their Academic Freedom Monitoring Project which documented attacks on higher education communities in 65 countries from January 2011 to May 2015.The network has since released Free to Think 2016.
• April 12, 2016 - Capital Punishment in China and Iran: Current Practices and Prospects for Reform | Cornell Law School
• March 30, 2016 - Meet Our Scholar at Risk - Hossein Raeesi | Fauteux Hall, FTX570 (57 Louis-Pasteur Private) | University of Ottawa
• February 25, 2016 - Readings from Banned and Challenged Materials as part of the Freedom to Read Week 2016 | Carleton University
• February 11, 2016 - The Refugee Crisis and Mental Health | Fauteux Hall, FTX147 (57 Louis-Pasteur Private) | University of Ottawa
• February 2, 2016 - Meet our Scholar | Fauteux Hall, FTX570 (57 Louis-Pasteur Private) | University of Ottawa
• November 30, 2015 - Challenges of Human Rights Defenders | 2017 Dunton Tower (1125 Colonel By Drive) | Carleton University
• November 19, 2015 - Law, Nation and Sexuality: A Critical Dialogue - Event organized by the University of Ottawa LGBTQA Law Students Association | Fauteux Hall, FTX359 (57 Louis-Pasteur Private) | University of Ottawa
• October 21, 2015 - Death Penalty: Current Reflexions | Fauteux Hall, FTX147A (57 Louis-Pasteur Private) | University of Ottawa
• September 16, 2015 - Presentation to the Risk and Insurance Management Society in Ottawa
• March 4, 2015 - Je suis Scholar