Bottom-up initiative: Collaboration project LAB “Implementing academic freedom for responsible internationalization in Arqus”

An in-person event is being organised in Padua on 10^th and 11^th June 2024, in conjunction with the SAR Student Advocacy Day 2024, within the bottom-up initiative “Implementing academic freedom for responsible internationalisation in Arqus” funded by the Arqus Innovation Fund. The initiative, coordinated by the University of Padua (Unipd), brings together five Arqus partner universities – beside Unipd: Leipzig University, the University of Graz, Vilnius University and Maynooth University (host of SAR Europe); the National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy (Arqus’ associate partner); and members of the Scholars At Risk (SAR) network.

The gathering engages students, academic and professional staff from each participating university in exchanging best practices, in a conversation on academic freedom, in pinpointing common actions in relations to the SAR pillars of protection, advocacy and learning.

The meeting is extremely relevant to the work that the Arqus Inclusion & Diversity Hub is carrying out with the aim of better supporting students and scholars at risk, both thanks to the partnership with SAR and to the continuous involvement of the Mohyla Academy (NaUKMA).

NaUKMA has been engaged in the activities of the Hub from the very beginning, bringing an invaluable contribution to the Arqus Action Plan to support students and scholars at risk – with a focus on Ukraine. The Mohyla Academy also participated in the preparation of the survey which was disseminated to over 1,000 Ukrainian students who studied abroad during the 2022-23 academic year, with the objective of better understanding their perspective on the support services provided to them by their host institutions.

The results of the meeting in Padua will feed into the second version of the Arqus Action Plan, which is being drafted by the Arqus Inclusion & Diversity Hub members. Besides, one of the objectives of the gathering is to work on a long-term perspective, through a discussion on future projects and initiatives to be submitted under Erasmus+ or other calls, in order to start developing activities in partnership – for example networked student advocacy seminars, professional development for university staff on academic freedom and supporting at risk scholars and students.

It is also possible to follow the two morning session online at this link.

Please see the agenda for all details.

News prepared by Lucia Gennaro, Co-Lead of the Arqus Inclusion & Diversity Hub and Head of Strategic Partnerships Unit – Projects and Mobility Office, International Relations Division, University of Padua.