European Student Advocacy Days

Thursday, 14^th December 2023

Focus: Academic freedom

Venue: Central Court - Ground Floor

8.30-9.30 – Coffee and Check-in

Venue: Kessler Room - Ground Floor

9.30-10.00 – Welcome

• Adam Braver, Coordinator, SAR Student Advocacy Seminars
• Ester Gallo, University of Trento
• Claudia Padovani and Francesca Helm, University of Padova
• Raffaella Campaner, University of Bologna and SAR Italy Steering Committee

10.00-10.30 – Introduction: How Students Work Support Scholars at Risk through Advocacy

• Clare Robinson, SAR

10.30-12.45 – Student Presentations

Moderators: Abram Braver and Clare Robinson, SAR

Student groups give formal presentations on their case(s), their research, their advocacy strategies, and recommendations. Q&A with civil society to follow.

12.45-14.00 – Lunch (Venue: Central Court, Ground Floor)

14.00-14.40 – Plenary Session: Learning from SAR Scholars’ Experiences

Moderator: Francesca Helm, University of Padova

• Politicization of Research and De-Politicization of Art: the Interconnections Between Academic and Artistic Freedom in Russia:
  Olga Alter, University of Trento
  Arseniy Petrov, The Harvard University Centre for Italian Renaissance
  Oleg Zhuravlev, Scuola Normale Superiore: 

• Systematic Oppression of Higher Education in Iran Under the Islamic Republic:
  Raha Sabet Sarvestani, University of Turku

• Challenges to Academic Freedom: A Dual Assault and the Significance of Solidarity Networks:
  Gökhan Demir, University of Padova

Venue: Room 10, Room 12 and Professors’ Meeting Room (1^st Floor)

To be followed by rotating breakout discussion sessions with SAR Scholars and Civil Society on advocacy issues, strategies, synergies and outcomes.

The rotating sessions will be held between 15.10 and 16.30.

16.30-17.00 – Coffee Break (Venue: Central Court - Ground Floor)

Venue: Kessler Room - Ground Floor

17.00-18-30 – Presentation: Protecting Academic Freedom in Europe

Moderator: Selma Matsdotter Bratberg, SAIH

• Claudia Padovani, European Advocacy Committee for Academic Freedom
• Lauren Pray, European Student Union
• Clare Robinson, SAR

20.00 – Dinner Restaurant ‘Orso Grigio’, Via degli Orti 19 (Optional Registration required)

Friday, 15^th December 2023

Focus: Student advocacy

Venue: Room 2 – First Underground Floor

9.15-9.45 – Welcome

• Flavio Deflorian, Rector, University of Trento
• Daniela Sicurelli, Vice-Director of the Department of Sociology and Social Research

9.45-11.00 – Keynote with Patrick Zaki, University of Bologna

From university to the prison: The Dangers and Sacrifices of Pursuing Academic Research in SWANA Countries

• Moderator: Ester Gallo, University of Trento
• Introduction: Rita Monticelli, University of Bologna

11.00-12.00 – Workshop: Storytelling in Advocacy

• Moderator: Adam Braver, SAR
• Patrick Zaki, University of Bologna
• Selma Bratberg, SAIH
• Gianluca Costantini, Artist and Activist

12.00-13.00 – Lunch (Venue: Central Court - Ground Floor)

Venue: Room 10, Room 12, Professors’ Meeting Room (1^st Floor); Meeting Room (2^nd Floor)

13.00-14.00 – Small Group Work

Case-focused groups draft a map of an advocacy campaign that focuses on storytelling, with input from faculty and guests.

14.00-16.00 – Small Group Walk

Case-focused groups hold a walking meeting through Trento to refine an advocacy campaign that will bring the scholar to life as a family member, an academic, etc.

Organising Committee:

• Adam Braver, Scholars at Risk / Roger Williams University;
• Clare Robinson, Scholars at Risk International;
• Ester Gallo, University of Trento;
• Francesca Helm, University of Padova;
• Claudia Padovani, University of Padova;
• Sara Hejazi, FBK and Jean Monnet European Centre of Excellence

ESAF project is coordinated by the Department of Sociology and Social Research in collaboration with the Faculty of Law.

In collaboration with the University of Trento, the University of Padova, and SAR-Italy, and co-funded by the European Union within the Jean Monnet Project ‘European Societies and Academic Freedom - ESAF’.

Scholars at Risk invites students and faculty to participate in European Student Advocacy Days 2023, to be held at the University of Trento, Italy. Scholars at Risk’s annual Student Advocacy Days events bring students and faculty from SAR’s Student Advocacy Seminars together for training on best practices in advocacy on behalf of imprisoned scholars and students, and to foster respect for academic freedom.