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Fragile Freedom

Fragile Freedom

Written by: con gressa
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 In many parts of the world, academic freedom is at risk. The live podcasting series “Fragile Freedom” provides a platform for researchers who cannot freely pursue their work in their home countries to share their experiences. Their personal stories can and raise awareness about the challenges to academic freedom and underscore the importance of free research and teaching for democracy. Further information on the project: https://fragile-freiheit.de/en/ The project is being carried out by the science communication agency con gressa in cooperation with the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of the “Science Year 2024 – Freedom”. Science
Episodes
  • Trailer: Free to Think Podcast with Encieh Erfani

    Trailer: Free to Think Podcast with Encieh Erfani
    Mar 18 2025
    We've teamed up with Scholars at Risk, a global network advocating for academic freedom and supporting threatened scholars, to bring you a special episode of their Free to Think podcast, featuring Iranian cosmologist Encieh Erfani.
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    1 min
  • Academics for Peace: Eylem Camuroglu Cig on Turkey, Political Persecution, and Academic Resistance to Oppression

    Academics for Peace: Eylem Camuroglu Cig on Turkey, Political Persecution, and Academic Resistance to Oppression
    Dec 17 2024
    In 2016, Eylem Camuroglu Cig took a stand by signing the “Peace Petition” which called for an end to violence in southeastern Turkey. President Erdoğan condemned the signatories as “terrorists”, leading to Camuroglu Cig loosing her job at the university. After the attempted coup in the summer of 2016, the political pressure intensified further. To escape persecution, Eylem Camuroglu Cig fled to Germany at the beginning of 2017. The Turkish government revoked her passport and numerous basic rights, and it is currently impossible for her to return. Nevertheless, Eylem Camuroglu Cig remains committed to academic freedom and critical thinking. In this interview, conducted by Frank Albrecht, Eylem Camuroglu Cig shares her insights on the political situation in Turkey, on academics for peace and her life in exile.
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    53 mins
  • Beneath the Mask: Azadeh Ganjeh on Iran, Universities as Spaces for Activism, and the Power of Art

    Beneath the Mask: Azadeh Ganjeh on Iran, Universities as Spaces for Activism, and the Power of Art
    Dec 14 2024
    Azadeh Ganjeh advocated for more academic freedom and the rights of her students as a professor in Tehran - despite growing political pressure. Her support for student activism and her critical stance against oppression came at a high price: the loss of her income, ongoing threats, and severe restrictions on her academic work. In 2022, she left her home country and came to Germany to continue her research and advocacy. Today, she works at the University of Hildesheim and HKS Ottersberg and remains passionately committed to academic freedom and diversity of opinion. In this interview, conducted by Mareike Ilsemann, Azadeh Ganjeh talks about the power of performance art, universities as a space of discourse and activism and her life in exile.
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    39 mins
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