Support Scholars for Scholars Leiden: A Sanctuary for At-Risk Scholars

Across the world, persecution, conflict, and various sustained crises are destroying academic infrastructure and hindering the academic development of scholars, both physically and mentally. Our goal is to establish a framework for the ongoing support of scholars in need at Leiden University, starting with the appointment of one scholar for a period of one year. Scholars for Scholars Leiden depends on the generosity of private donors to continue this important and potentially life-saving mission.

Scholars for Scholars Leiden originated in March 2024 from the research program 'The Effective Protection of Fundamental Rights in a Pluralist World' (EPFR) at Leiden Law School. EPFR is the largest research program in our faculty, with the primary objective of advancing the protection of fundamental rights effectively. While defining what constitutes effectiveness and how it can be achieved poses challenges, we believe that we can learn the most from those who are directly facing risks to their human rights. Therefore, we seek to take meaningful action by extending invitations to scholars facing these risks.

Through close collaboration with colleagues at other faculties, Dutch universities (including universities of applied sciences), and various academic and civil society institutions, we aim to create an environment where mutual learning and cooperation lead to the truly effective protection of fundamental rights. It is imperative to establish an infrastructure for integrating at-risk scholars to ensure sustainable support for them across the world. Through the Scholars for Scholars Leiden initiative, and in the face of a failing national support system for at-risk scholars, we aim to uphold the integrity of our program's name and maintain the reputation of our faculty and university as bastions of freedom—Praesidium Libertatis —as well as our city’s legacy as a city of refugees!

Our initiative is supported by five dedicated ambassadors. We are very grateful for their support: Prof. Joanne van der Leun, Prof. Wim Voermans, Prof. Judi Mesman, Prof. Sarah de Rijcke, and Dr. Herlambang Wiratraman. With their help, we aim to make lasting change for scholars in need.

In line with Leiden's legacy as a city of refugees, I wholeheartedly support the initiative to welcome endangered scholars at Leiden University. Helping people in need and learning from each other go hand in hand, which has a positive impact for everyone involved.
Faculty of Law
Prof. Joanne van der Leun 

Universitas Gadjah Mada Law School, Indonesia
Dr. Herlambang P. Wiratraman 
Associate Professor at Universitas Gadjah Mada Law School
Founder and advisor of the Indonesian Caucus for Academic Freedom (KIKA).
"
By promoting and protecting academic freedom, solidarity initiatives such as Leiden’s contribute to the preservation of educational institutions as beacons of knowledge, innovation, and progress. The Leiden Solidarity Initiative serves as an inspiration for campuses worldwide, highlighting that academic freedom is of fundamental importance. This freedom emphasizes not only the universal value of education but also the need to protect it from threats. By supporting this initiative, we can preserve and promote knowledge, and advance human civilization." Dr. Herlambang P. Wiratraman

I understand academic freedom as the right to seek the truth, to publish, and to teach what one believes to be true. This right also implies a duty: one must not conceal any part of what one has recognized as true. It is self-evident that any restriction of academic freedom operates in such a way that it obstructs the spread of knowledge among people, and thereby hinders rational judgment and action.' (Albert Einstein 1954)
Faculty of Law
Prof. Wim Voermans

Ergo: Academic freedom is liberation

In many parts of the world, academics face repression, persecution, and destruction that severely hinder their freedom to conduct research, teach, and share their knowledge. While concerns also exist in the Netherlands about threats to academic freedom, we have the means and institutional structures to offer a safe haven for scholars who can barely continue their work in their home countries. I am pleased that Leiden University offers opportunities to endangered scholars and supports the valuable academic work they can do when they no longer have to fear for their safety.
Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs
Prof. Judi Mesman

Academic freedom is not self-evident; it is a fundamental right that we must cherish and protect. As Dean of a large Faculty of Social Sciences, I see how crucial it is to create space for diverse perspectives and critical voices. Scholars for Scholars Leiden is more than solidarity with scholars worldwide; it is a necessary investment in the future of free and independent research. By supporting endangered scholars, we not only strengthen our academic community but also contribute to an open, inclusive, and resilient global knowledge infrastructure. This initiative reflects the essence of what science should be: borderless, courageous, and focused on pushing boundaries, both in knowledge and humanity.

Faculty of Social Sciences
Prof. Sarah de Rijcke