SCIENCE AT RISK Emergency Office

Answers to the most important questions about us, our work, and how we help science survive in times of war — packed into slides ⏫️ #support #scolars #science #scientist #ngo

Science knows no borders. But today, borders have become prisons for thousands of scholars. The SCIENCE AT RISK Emergency Office is working to protect and sustain academic freedom. We support scholars at risk from #Ukraine, #Belarus, and #Russia, and help them continue their research — beyond state control and beyond the impact of war. In the past few years, we have provided: — 212 risk interviews to assess scholars’ needs and safety — 1195 cases of personal #support — from emergency aid to academic advising — 15 language courses to help scholars integrate abroad — 198 academic events enabling international collaboration and exchange You can support our work and help create new opportunities for scholars at risk. Together, we can turn solidarity into action — and ensure that #science continues to thrive, even in times of war. 🔗 More info at science-at-risk.org

We are deeply concerned about the treatment of Azat Miftakhov, a mathematician and anarchist activist. On May 5, 2026, his support group published a detailed account alleging that he was subjected to torture, ill-treatment, and sexual violence, including threats of rape, after his transfer to Penal Colony No. 18 in Harp, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. Azat has previously reported torture following his first detention in 2019, and in September 2025, he was re-arrested and charged with "justifying terrorism" over comments he allegedly made while in detention. He was sentenced to a further four years in prison. We stand in solidarity with Azat and echo the words of @amnesty Deputy Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia: "The authorities must urgently launch an independent and effective investigation into these allegations, hold all those suspected to be responsible to account in fair proceedings, and ensure that Azat Miftakhov is protected from further violence, including torture and other ill-treatment." We also call on the international community to condemn the use of torture.

One of akno e.V. projects @scholarsforbelarus has launched a lecture series featuring leading Belarusian researchers Lately, reality has been changing so rapidly that it’s becoming harder and harder to keep up: there are more and more questions, and less and less clarity. The usual ways of understanding the world no longer seem to work, so many basic concepts need to be rethought. The lectures focus on things that concern everyone, but are often left outside of academic research. The series is structured into seven thematic blocks: technology, family, body, food, space, time, and death. Each block includes 6 to 8 episodes that explore these phenomena through different lenses — from anthropology to philosophy. This lecture series was created to help us, together with researchers, make sense of what is happening in the world today and what place Belarus has in it. New lectures are released every Thursday on the Scholars for Belarus YouTube channel. The link to the channel is in our bio!

We are excited to announce the launch of our collaboration with Unity Hub Berlin - Ukrainian Community Center! Together we are hosting an event that explores the theme of "POWER WITHOUT A MANDATE: WOMEN'S EXPERIENCE OF RESPONSIBILITY". Have you ever felt that your responsibilities are growing faster than your resources? That you are expected to provide stability, make decisions, and stay resilient - even when you are not formally "in charge"? This is a reality that many women today face, and it's time to rethink resilience, recognize personal experience as a resource, and identify points of support. Join us on May 5, 2026, at 15:00 (Kyiv) | 14:00 (Berlin) at Unity Hub Berlin, Jägerstraße 54, 10117 Berlin, or online via Zoom. We will explore real experiences of women in science, education, civil society, and culture, and give voice to what usually remains "between the lines". This event is organized in partnership with @scierisk (Science at Risk UA), Odesa Polytechnic National University, @ushynsky.university , @odaba.ogasa , NGO “Black Sea Women’s Club”, NGO VRUNA, @adlera.dance , and Unity Hub Berlin. Date: May 5, 2026 Time: 15:00 (Kyiv) | 14:00 (Berlin) Location: 📍Odesa, 77 Yevropeiska St. (Bookstor-Café) 📍 Unity Hub Berlin, Jägerstraße 54, 10117 Berlin (and online via Zoom) Registration: via Linktree in our bio We look forward to seeing you there!

The Supreme Court of Belarus has designated the European Humanities University @ehuniversity_official , as an "extremist organization" @ehuniversity_official is our important partner and the first Belarusian university to be declared "extremist". This decision affects not only the university's activities but also the lives of its students and faculty, 80% of the university's students are from Belarus. The university was founded in 1992 in Minsk, but after losing its license in 2005, it relocated to Vilnius, Lithuania, where it continues to operate as a private Lithuanian university. We stand in solidarity with the European Humanities University and its students, who are now facing uncertainty and repression. This decision is part of a broader pattern of repression targeting civil society, independent media, and educational actors in Belarus.

🌍 When politics, international community, and science meet in one space — new institutional solutions emerge On April 14, 2026, the official opening of Unity Hub Berlin took place in Berlin — the first European center for comprehensive support for Ukrainians abroad. The ceremonial opening was conducted by Denys Uliutin, Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine, and Alexander Dobrindt, Federal Minister of the Interior of Germany. The event brought together a large number of representatives of international organisations, diplomatic missions, the expert community, as well as extensive international media coverage, highlighting strong global attention to the launch of this new European hub. Unity Hub Berlin is designed as an integrated platform supporting Ukrainians across multiple dimensions: from social and legal assistance to integration, education, employment, and long-term return pathways. As part of this event, we had the opportunity to present the achievements of our project, @scierisk — sharing our work on supporting researchers in crisis conditions, coordinating scientific communities, and integrating Ukrainian science into the European research landscape. Unity Hub Berlin is not just an institution. It is a convergence point for policy, people, and solutions shaping the future system of support for Ukrainians in Europe. And this is only the beginning 🚀

Statement by the Alliance for Resilience and Security We stand in solidarity with Memorial. The Russian Supreme Court’s decision to label the Memorial Movement as an “extremist organisation” is not just an attack on one of Russia’s most vital human rights institutions — it is a direct assault on historical truth, memory, and academic freedom. As organisations classified as “undesirable” in the Russian Federation, we know all too well the mechanisms of political persecution, the weaponisation of law, and the chilling effect on civil society. Memorial’s decades-long work in documenting state repression, preserving the memory of victims, and confronting historical injustices is essential to justice and democratic resilience. Their mission is not extremism — it is truth. We condemn this ruling in the strongest terms and call on the international community to stand with Memorial, defend the right to remember. Read the full statement by the Alliance for Resilience and Security on our website. Signatories: 🔹 Academic Network for Eastern Europe, akno e.V. 🔹@austauschorg 🔹@dgo_e.v 🔹Dr. Stefan Meister, Leiter des Zentrums für Ordnung und Governance in Osteuropa, Russland und Zentralasien der @dgapev 🔹Europäischer Austausch gGmbH 🔹@stiftungfuerdiefreiheit 🔹@boellstiftung 🔹@libmod 🔹@n_ost_org 🔹@evzfoundation 🕊️ Cover illustration by @risburlit #Memorial #AcademicFreedom #HumanRights

The deadline for our Open Call for Conference Support is approaching! Applications are accepted until April 19, and we warmly invite researchers to apply. Please review the full call description before submitting your application. You can find it under Submission Requirements on our website, on the Russia page. Eastern Academic Alliance provides funding for conferences in the Social Sciences and Humanities that include the participation of Russian researchers. The initiative is designed to foster collaboration among researchers in exile and to support independent scholarship. Results will be announced on May 4.

Today, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation has designated the so-called “international public movement Memorial” as an extremist organisation in proceedings held behind closed doors. Memorial, Russia’s oldest and most prominent human rights organisation, has long documented state repression in the Soviet Union, preserved the memory of its victims, and exposed ongoing human rights violations in contemporary Russia, including the systematic prosecution of individuals on political grounds. As Memorial itself has noted, no organisation formally exists under this vague designation – an ambiguity that appears deliberate. Such framing creates the conditions for broad and arbitrary repression against any individuals, scholars, or institutions associated with Memorial’s work. For a long time, Memorial has been an important partner of Akademische Netzwerk Osteuropa (akno e.V.), and we express our solidarity while considering this court decision illegitimate. As an organisation committed to the protection of academic freedom and the support of scholars at risk, Akademische Netzwerk Osteuropa (akno e.V.), stands firmly with Memorial and its community of researchers. Memorial’s work has never been merely archival, it has fostered critical, public engagement with the history and mechanisms of state violence, enabling independent scholarship under increasingly restrictive conditions. This ruling represents not only an attack on Memorial’s initiatives, but a wider assault on historical truth, academic inquiry, and the fundamental freedoms that underpin an open society.

Open Position: Student Assistant (m/f/d, 10 h/week) We are looking for a student assistant to support the Analysis and Research Team, starting 1 May 2026. The position can be based in Berlin or partly remote. We conduct bi-monthly policy analyses and annual monitoring studies on (higher) education systems and academic freedom in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine — and since 2026, also in Georgia. As a student assistant, you will support our team in preparing and presenting these analyses and will be involved in a variety of work processes. The position is initially limited until 30 November 2026, with the potential for extension depending on future funding. See the full description of tasks and profile under Vacancies or via the Linktree in our bio!

🇺🇦 Academia in Ukraine: Navigating the Protracted War Maryna Rabinovych, one of the authors of our Monitoring Report on Academic Freedom in Ukraine 2025 (presented together with ZOIS and @dgo_e.v ), describes the profound impact of the war on Ukraine's academic community. She explains how scholars navigate hardships like infrastructure blackouts and psychological stress in conflict zones while sustaining their vital work with financial aid, residential fellowships, and secure spaces. Share this with your network to highlight challenges for Ukraine's academia, essential for its future. Our 2025 Monitoring Report on Ukraine is available on our website.