From Resistance to Resilience: The Roots of Protecting Academia at Risk

A podcast on the protection of academic freedom by the OPEN Cost Action (www.opencostaction.eu)

Description:

Around the world—and particularly across Europe—higher education institutions are confronting escalating political, cultural, and ideological challenges that threaten their core values and independence. Academics—among the most directly impacted—often find themselves without the institutional backing needed to withstand anti-liberal attacks. Unlike other sectors, the academic community lacks strong advocacy structures or coordinated support at the policy level, leaving many scholars vulnerable and isolated in the face of mounting political and ideological pressures. When these pressures strike, many scholars find themselves unprepared and unprotected.

This podcast—chaired by renowned scholar Andrea Pető (Central European University, Vienna)—brings together leading voices from across Europe to ask: What can academics do? What institutions exist to defend their rights? Which documents and frameworks can they rely on? The discussion is part of the ongoing work of the OPEN Cost Action, which aims to establish a permanent infrastructure to support academics in Europe by the end of its mandate. Andrea Pető is leading Working Group 4 of OPEN, which Katja Brøgger chairs.

This conversation calls for a new methodology—one that maps resistance strategies, identifies types of attacks, strengthens institutional responses, and coordinates across the sector. The roundtable includes individuals and institutions actively working to protect academics and safeguard academic freedom in practice, not just principle.

Featured Speakers:

• Zoltán Ádám – Scholar dismissed from Corvinus University, Budapest, Hungary, offering a personal account of academic repression.
• Rebecka Lettevall – Malmö University (Sweden), on institutional solidarity and the role of universities in defending academic values.
• David Lock – Magna Charta Observatory (Bologna, Italy), reflecting on foundational charters and international frameworks.
• Bo Petersson – Malmö University (Sweden), discussing comparative experiences of academic freedom under threat.
• Levent Pişkin – University of Dundee (UK), providing a legal and human rights perspective on academic mobility and defense.
• Artem Shaipov – Ukrainian Global University (Kyiv, Ukraine), on the infrastructure needed to support scholars in conflict and crisis.
• Maria Toft – Gothenburg Manifesto (Copenhagen, Denmark), presenting an idea for coordinated, pan-European academic resilience.

What happens when universities shift from being spaces of critical thinking and public knowledge to institutions shaped by market logic? In this episode, we explore the transformation of higher education under neoliberalism—how academia has moved away from its traditional role and into a system driven by efficiency metrics, privatization, and corporate partnerships.

Andrea Pető, Dina Gusejnova, Elena Trifan, and Tania Arcimovich discuss the tension between liberal, neoliberal, and illiberal universities, the precarious conditions of academic labor, and how these forces impact both students and faculty. They also examine the inequalities within academic mobility and the broader implications for knowledge production in a time of polycrisis.

Join us as we critically assess the current state of academia and discuss alternatives for a more inclusive and egalitarian university system.

In this episode, we explore the often-overlooked struggles of at-risk scholars, focusing on the absence of Belarus in discussions on academic freedom, the gendered dimensions of displacement, and the systemic exclusions within global academia. Tania Artemovich discusses how Belarusian scholars have been marginalized in protection programs, despite facing decades of repression, while also addressing the challenges female migrant scholars face in securing recognition and support. Dina Gusejnova, Andrea Pető, Bernard Kleeberg, and Elena Trifan further examine the structural barriers, knowledge production gaps, and the geopolitical hierarchies that shape academic mobility.

This episode challenges us to rethink the narratives of academic displacement and calls for a more inclusive, equitable approach to knowledge production and integration.

In this episode of Protecting Academia at Risk, we explore the urgent challenges facing universities today, from the rise of right-wing movements in Europe to the ongoing struggles of displaced and at-risk scholars. Together with Andrea Pető, Dina Gusejnova, Bernhard Kleeberg, Tania Arcimovich, Nadiya Kiss, and Elena Trifan, we discuss how universities can reclaim their role as spaces of free thought and critical inquiry.

We reflect on the structural barriers that prevent meaningful academic integration, the failures of transnational organizations in protecting scholars at risk, and the broader implications of the neoliberalization of higher education. From the crisis of academic mobility post-Brexit to the contradictions within the EU’s approach to academic freedom, this conversation unpacks the layered complexities shaping the future of knowledge production.

In this episode of Protecting Academia at Risk, we explore the evolving landscape of risk in academia. Instead of framing risk only as a threat to individual academics facing persecution, this conversation expands the lens to examine systemic risks to academic institutions, knowledge production, and academic freedom. How do shifting political landscapes, neoliberal policies, and illiberal interventions shape the academic space? How can we rethink academic freedom beyond free speech debates? And what does it mean to foster a thriving academic community in these turbulent times?

In this episode, Elena Trifan, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Erfurt, delves into her research on at-risk academics within the Romanian higher education system. With a background in anthropology and sociology, Elena offers a unique lens shaped by her academic journey and personal connection as a first-generation scholar.

Her research explores Romania’s position as a peripheral EU country, traditionally known for exporting skilled labor, and examines its evolving higher education landscape. From navigating neoliberal reforms and addressing systemic inequalities to grappling with far-right nationalism and racism, Elena highlights the challenges and transformations shaping the experiences of displaced scholars in Romania.

Focusing on Ukrainian academics and intersecting vulnerabilities faced by women and queer scholars, she investigates identity, professional success, and strategies for career resilience amidst a backdrop of systemic delays in academia’s response to social and political shifts. With a gender-sensitive perspective and qualitative methodology, Elena sheds light on the complexities of forging a scholarly identity within a receiving academic environment unaccustomed to its new role.

In this episode, we are joined by our colleague, Dr. Nadiya Kiss, a social linguist from Ukraine and co-founder of the Vision Ukraine – Education, Language, Migration research network. Drawing from her extensive work on language policy and activism, Nadiya explores the pivotal role of language in migration and identity formation, especially in the context of forced displacement.

She discusses the linguistic behaviors of Ukrainian migrants in Germany, their rejection of Russian as a colonial language, and how these shifts symbolize resistance, identity transformation, and community building. Nadiya also reflects on how language influences narratives in research settings and its significance as a bridge for integration and resilience in times of social challenges.

In this episode, we get to know our colleague Tania Arcimovich, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Erfurt and a key member of the Protecting Academia at Risk project. Originally from Minsk, Tania reflects on her journey to Germany, her evolving identity as a scholar, and the impact of displacement on academic life.

Tania shares her unique perspective as a Belarusian researcher, focusing on the experiences of female migrant academics and the structural challenges they face. Her work explores how gender, risk, and forced migration influence both scholarly routines and the knowledge produced within academia.

Tune in to learn how Tania’s personal journey and academic expertise contribute to rethinking academic freedom and resilience in times of uncertainty.

In this episode, we hear from our colleague, Prof. Dr. Bernhard Kleeberg from the History of Science (Historical Department) at the University of Erfurt. Prof. Kleeberg discusses his work on political epistemologies and the cultures of knowledge, focusing on how scientific habits and political frameworks intertwine. As a historian of science, he shares insights into the Political Epistemologies of Central and Eastern Europe research network, which he co-founded in 2015, and explores themes like academic authority, dissidence, and gender epistemologies.

Prof. Kleeberg delves into the micro-politics of scientific research, examining how political agendas and scholarly identities shape day-to-day academic practices. He also reflects on how systems of knowledge are disrupted by events such as the arrival of refugee scholars, prompting new questions and challenging established norms.

Tune in to explore how the intersections of politics and science reshape academic spaces in Central and Eastern Europe.

In this episode, Alina Dragolea, Associate Professor at the National University of Political Science and Public Administration in Bucharest, discusses the complex dynamics of "academia at risk" in both high- and low-ranked universities. She challenges Western-centric views on academic migration and explores how diverse institutional and national contexts shape the experiences and support strategies for at-risk scholars. Alina calls for a more nuanced approach that considers the unique challenges of European peripheries and moves beyond one-size-fits-all policies.