Scholars at risk: A disturbing global trend of attacks

The latest Free to Think report highlights the worrisome state of scholars around the world, who are facing increasing threats

- VRIJENDRA

After the previous column on the Free to Think report, 2023 by the network Scholars at Risk (Oct 8), the network released its report for the year 2024. Thus, my next two columns will focus on what the latest Free to Think report says about the worrisome state of scholars around the world.

Let me summarise the global trend. There have been 391 attacks on scholars, students and institutions in 51 countries and regions between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024. The report 2024 marks many disturbing trends. For example, interstate and intrastate armed conflict has caused havoc in the institutions of higher education in many countries.

In the current reporting period, security forces forcibly made scholars disappear. Two professors of Chinese origin working at universities in Japan went missing while visiting China. In Bangladesh, before the Awami League government was suddenly ousted in August 2024 by student and public uprising, its student group violently targeted scholars, university staff and other students for their dissenting political views and to pressure them to support the government.

In Israel, after the Hamas attack in October 7, 2023, local community members chanted 'death to Arabs' outside dorms where Palestinian students lived. The assailants falsely accused Palestinian students of throwing eggs at a local synagogue and playing loud music.