Event overview
Conference in solidarity with Academics for Peace
In this one-day conference, organised in solidarity with “Academics for Peace” (BAK), we will discuss how we can enact, protect and practice academic freedom. Academics for Peace is a group of more than 2,200 academics that is facing severe repression since the release of an anti-war petition asking the Turkish government to end the violent conflict with the Kurds and to return to the peace process.
The repression against the signatories comes in various forms, ranging from disciplinary measures and the loss of jobs and scholarships to criminal investigations and death threats. This brutal backlash demonstrates that academic freedom is not a given, but something that we need to claim, defend and practice precisely when it is called into question or practically denied by state institutions, authoritarian politicians or calls for “policy relevant” research.
The parallel encroachment of the intelligence agencies’ Prevent Strategy into higher education in the UK, along with an escalation of neoliberal policies in all universities highlights, that authoritarian tendencies are not confined to particular countries or regions.
This conference will provide a forum for organising practical support for those who take high risks and often face severe consequences when claiming, practicing and defending academic freedom in particular and freedom of speech in general.
In a series of presentations, conversations, skype interviews and workshops we will discuss what academic freedom means and how we can support those who put their careers, bodies and personal safety on the line to claim and defend the very basis of our work.
Confirmed speakers include so far: Academics for Peace (BAK), Engin Isin (OU), Kerem Öktem (Graz), Ça?la Aykaç (Paris), Selim Eskiizmirliler (Paris), Nadje Al-Ali (SOAS), Ezgi Ba?aran (Oxford), Mehmet Karl? (Oxford)
Dates & times
| Date | Time | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Jun 2016 | 10:00am - 6:00pm |
Accessibility
If you are attending an event and need the College to help with any mobility requirements you may have, please contact the event organiser in advance to ensure we can accommodate your needs.
