The Humboldt Foundation hosted the networking event in Berlin to bring together researchers at risk and all those supporting them, whether on the local, national or international level.
On the first day of the forum the researchers Nil Mutluer, Philipp Schwartz alumna (Leipzig University), and Olga Shparaga, Philipp Schwartz fellow (University of Vienna/FernUniversität Hagen), discussed – from a feminist perspective – the repression of academic freedom in Belarus and Turkey. Researchers from Turkey, Ukraine and Venezuela provided insights into career opportunities in science and raised the question: How can researchers continue their careers in Germany after having them involuntarily interrupted by violence and persecution in their home country? This forced scientific mobility is different than a researcher’s planned, career-furthering mobility.
Another focus of the forum was the current academic/research situation in Syria. The participating Syrian researchers underscored the potential offered by Syria’s academic system, noting that it would not have to be rebuilt from scratch. But it will require more platforms – like the Philipp Schwartz Forum – where the most important topics can be discussed and plans for the next few years can be forged, they added. Young researchers abroad – some of whom have already returned to Syria – could and want to contribute to this.
Researchers and scholars who are subject to significant personal threat in their country of origin can continue their work in Germany with the help of a fellowship from the Humboldt Foundation’s Philipp Schwartz Initiative. Threatened researchers from Ukraine are being supported through the MSCA4Ukraine programme in Germany and other European countries.
Further Reading
- Humboldt Foundation (10.04.2025): "Courage is contagious" – The Philipp Schwartz Forum in Berlin
