SAR Academic Freedom Media Review, April 9-15

The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available here. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.
Scholars at Risk calls for letters on behalf of Professor Nasser bin Ghaith of the UAE
Scholars at Risk, 4/15
12 Organizations Ask U. of Virginia to Safeguard Climate Researcher’s Academic Freedom
The Chronicle of Higher Education, 4/14
Hastings’ board pulls UC brand from rights meeting
Bob Egelko, The San Francisco Chronicle, 4/13
Top PEN Prize to Honor Nasrin Sotoudeh, Jailed Iranian Lawyer, Writer, Activist
PEN, 4/13
Iran: independent civil society organisations ignored over draft law on associations
Education International, 4/12
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Academic Freedom Media Review, March 26-April 1

Compiled by Scholars at Risk
The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available here. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.
Malawi police arrest 5 university students for rioting
Afrique en Ligne, 3/31
Unusual Ruling for Academic Freedom
Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed, 3/31
Yale and National U. of Singapore Set Plans for New Liberal-Arts College
Karin Fischer, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 3/31
‘Academic Freedom’ Offers Little Protection Against New Efforts to Obtain Professors’ E-Mails
Peter Schmidt and Colin Woodard, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 3/29
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Scholars at Risk Academic Freedom Media Review, March 19-25

Scholars at Risk would like to draw attention to the situation surrounding Professor William Cronon of University of Wisconsin at Madison. According to media reports, the university was approached by the Republican Party of Wisconsin with a request, under Wisconsin’s open-records law, for Prof. Cronon’s e-mail records. The request was received just days after Prof. Cronon published a blog post regarding legislation proposed by Republican lawmakers. Please review the following two pieces—one featured in The Chronicle of Higher Education, and one written by Prof. Cronon on his blog—for additional information on this case.

Wisconsin GOP Seeks E-Mails of a Madison Professor Who Criticized the Governor
A Tactic I Hope Republicans Will Rethink: Using the Open Records Law to Intimidate Critics
Academic Freedom Media Review
March 19 – 25, 2011
Compiled by Scholars at Risk
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Academic Freedom Media Review, March 5-11, 2011

Compiled by Scholars at Risk
The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available at here. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.
Presidential duress: fears for Belarusian academic freedom
Colin Graham, Times Higher Education, 3/10
CHINA: Unrest fears prompt alert at universities
Yojana Sharma, University World News, 3/10
Virginia Supreme Court Will Hear Appeal of Climate-Papers Case
The Chronicle of Higher Education, 3/10
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SAR Academic Freedom Media Review: 26 February – 4 March 2011

The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available here. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.
Censorship or a Mirage?
Steve Kolowich, Inside Higher Ed, 3/4
The man from Kyrgyzstan
Corydon Ireland, Harvard Gazette, 3/3
‘Suspect’ Offa letter threatens sector’s freedom
Rebecca Attwood, Times Higher Education, 3/3
Academic Freedom and the Corporate University
Bill Gleason, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 3/3
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Academic Freedom Media Review, February 19-25, 2011

The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available here. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.
YEMEN: Student protests gather strength after deaths
Ahmed Mohamoud Elmi, University World News, 2/25
Anti-Union Bill Passes Wisconsin Assembly
The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2/25
Saudi Intellectuals Demand Reforms
The New York Times, 2/24
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Support the Libyan Opposition Now!

Earlier today Gaddafi vowed to crush protestors. A leader with no regard for the lives of his citizens.

Muammar Gaddafi addressed his supporters in Tripoli’s Green Square today. Once again his remarks were belligerent, gruesome, and rambling. Both he and his son have indicated Gaddafi will cling to power until his last breath, no matter was the costs to Libya nor how many lives are lost. The United States and much of the world community was hesitant to withdraw its support from Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia and Hosni Mubarak in Egypt after the popular uprisings against them began in their countries.
While I was disappointed by that hesitancy, it was at least understandable. These leaders were allies of the West and, when the demonstrations started, at least when through the motions of promising a degree of reform. Mubarak went so far as to give the end date for his Presidency, after elections in September. Western governments, unsure about what was to come and aware that these leaders had been reliable allies, were hesitant to drop them.
 
Gaddafi has certainly not offered to step down, not now nor ever. He has also not offered any hint that he would be willing to accept any sort of reforms. Though in power since 1969, all he has done so far is justify his regime by evoking the “Green Revolution,” blamed everyone but himself for what is going on and threaten mass bloodshed.
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Judge Paid to Send Kids Away!

The Associated Press reported today:

A former juvenile court judge defiantly insisted he never accepted money for sending large numbers of children to detention centers even after he was convicted of racketeering for taking a $1 million kickback from the builder of the for-profit lockups.
Former Luzerne County Judge Mark Ciavarella was allowed to remain free pending sentencing following his conviction Friday in what prosecutors said was a “kids for cash” scheme that ranks among the biggest courtroom frauds in U.S. history.

As the judge left the courthouse today, he was confronted by the mother of one of the boys he had sentenced to a detention facility on a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia. The boy had committed suicide, an act his mother attributes to the trauma of his detention. The video of that confrontation got a lot of airplay today, and the judge was demonized.
The judges actions were inexcusable and the mother’s reactions completely understandable. He deserves the harshest sentence possible. Such scandals are inevitable in a system in which the government turns the means of administering justice over to private entities.
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Academic Freedom Media Review, February 5 – 11, 2011

The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available at here. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.
Universities must safeguard intellectual vitality
Andreas Hess, Irish Times, 2/10
Presidential duress: fears for Belarusian academic freedom
Colin Graham, Times Higher Education, 2/10
Travel Ban Extends to Family
Mihray Abdilim and Joshua Lipes, Radio Free Asia, 2/10
Faculty Group at U. of Puerto Rico Joins Students on Strike
The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2/10
The Beck-Piven Controversy
Peter Wood, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2/10
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Academic Freedom Media Review, January 29 – February 4

Compiled by Scholars at Risk
Scholars at Risk would like to draw special attention to a country that has not recently received extensive coverage in the weekly media review, Venezuela. Recent attempts to enact significant reforms regarding higher education raise questions about academic freedom and university values in the region. We would like to highlight the following two articles written by a professor of sociology at a university in Venezuela.
VENEZUELA: Academic freedom under threat
Orlando Albornoz, University World News, 1/30
University Values Bulletin, January 2011
The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available at here. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.
Managerial era ‘threatens’ academic freedom
Matthew Reisz, Times Higher Education, 2/3
Scientist’s Criticisms of Colleague’s Research Held to Be Protected Speech
The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2/3
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