With the Safe Haven Fellowship, NIAS aims to provide an opportunity for researchers in conflict and war zones to catch their breath and continue their research in peace. Two researchers from Gaza and four from Ukraine join the NIAS community of fellows this year.
Two Palestinian researchers from Gaza will enjoy a fellowship at the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study (NIAS) in Amsterdam this year. Until recently, they were unsure of their lives in Gaza. Now, as Safe Haven Fellow at NIAS, they will work on their research project undisturbed for five months.
Growing need for support
Over the past three years, NIAS hosted 12 Safe Haven Fellows from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus. These were not only scholars, but also journalists, writers and artists. Academic freedom is under growing pressure worldwide. Last spring, the Safe Haven Fellowship was therefore extended to all researchers who are no longer safe or able to do their work due to war or conflict. By broadening the scope of the Safe Haven Fellowship, NIAS aims to meet the growing need for support among scholars at risk.
A visit to normalcy
This year, NIAS is hosting a total of six researchers from war zones. Four from Ukraine and two from Gaza. The two fled Gaza with their families when it was just about possible. Amal Helles is a female Palestinian journalist from the Gaza Strip, who became a war reporter overnight after 7 October. Amal Helles will start her research on the role of women journalists in news coverage of Gaza in Amsterdam in early September.
The second Safe Haven Fellow from Gaza, Mohammed Alzanoon from Gaza City, arrives in February. He too will spend five months working quietly on the research of his choice. The photojournalist and documentary filmmaker, who has been covering news stories from Palestine for 20 years, has decided to turn the camera on himself and his family. Alzanoon wants to use this self-portrait to highlight the invisible effects of war.
Academic freedom under attack
Data from fifty years ago gives an optimistic impression with academic freedom expanding in 56 countries, but recent trends are worrisome. They show that academic freedom is under threat globally. The Academic Freedom Index, which uses the concept of growth and decline episodes at country level, shows that 23 countries are in episodes of decline in academic freedom, including the Netherlands, while increasing in only 10 countries. 3.6 billion people now live in countries where academic freedom is completely restricted.
A cornerstone of democracy
NIAS is committed to academic freedom. It protects and promotes the freedom of scholars to set up and conduct their own research, and to safely communicate the insights and results obtained. The fulfilment of these basic needs of scholars is a prerequisite for academic and public debate, and thus a cornerstone of democracy. NIAS hopes to host more researchers in need in the coming years, from places like Sudan, Haiti or Hong Kong, where war has broken out, conflicts have flared up or academic freedoms are otherwise severely curtailed.
Support academic freedoms
If you would like to contribute (financially) to the Safe Haven Fellowship or have any questions, please email partners@nias.knaw.nl or use the following details to make a transfer. Donations can be made to NIAS-KNAW, bank account number NL19 ABNA 0119 7325 56, BIC/SWIFT code: ABNANL2A. Please specify ‘Safe Haven’ as a reference, along with your name and email address. For more information consult nias.knaw.nl/support