Academia Under Attack - Conference for Academic Freedom and International Solidarity

The ‘Academia Under Attack’ conference is organised by members of Hamburg and other northern German universities. As employees, teachers, and students, we aim to build a network for critical and solidarity-based science rooted in a commitment to social justice and peace.

The immediate impetus for this conference is the destruction of the universities in Gaza, where hundreds of our Palestinian colleagues were killed or displaced, as well as the increasing authoritarian restrictions on academic and public debate in Germany in recent months. We oppose all forms of defamation and criminalisation of university members and activists who support Palestine. Facing the ‘Zeitenwende’, in which science and research are being instrumentalised for militarisation and confrontational politics, we seek to defend and strengthen the peace-building, humanistic, and anti-fascist role of academia – exemplified, for instance, through ‘civil clauses’ (Zivilklauseln).

Against this backdrop, our goals are (a) to discuss concrete measures in support of our Palestinian colleagues and formulate demands for our universities and academic organisations; (b) to oppose the repressive restrictions on academic freedom; and (c) to promote and strengthen anti-militarist and peace-oriented perspectives at our universities.

To achieve this, we invite researchers, teachers and students to participate and connect.

Contributions by, among others: Dr. Wesam Amer (Cara/IIE-SRF Fellow, University of Cambridge, UK | Dean, Faculty of Communication and Languages, Gaza University, Palestine), Dr. Arne Andersen (Historiker, Hamburg), Prof. Dr. Dr. Aleida Assmann (Anglistik und Allgemeine Literaturwissenschaft, Uni Konstanz, Mitglied der Steuerungsgruppe der Jerusalem Erklärung zum Antisemitismus), Prof. Michael Barenboim (Barenboim-Said-Akademie, Association of Palestinian and Jewish Academics), Jonathan Beullens (Bundesweiter Arbeitskreis Zivilklausel, Student der Biophysik, Universität Frankfurt), Prof. Dr. Sabine Broeck (American Literatures and Cultures Studies, Universität Bremen), Hanno Hauenstein (Journalist, Berlin), Dr. Hannes Jung (Science4Peace@DESY, Hamburg), Dr. Dörthe Engelcke (Allianz für Kritische und Solidarische Wissenschaft), Asma Mustafa (Lehrerin, Gaza), Prof. Dr. Norman Paech (Politikwissenschaft und Öffentliches Recht, Universität Hamburg), Dr. Laila Prager (Association of Palestinian and Jewish Academics), Prof. Dr. Werner Ruf (Politikwissenschaft, Universität Kassel), Prof. Dr. Yusuf Sayed (Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge)

Panels:

The Destruction of Gaza’s Educational Infrastructure and Sustaining Higher Education
Academic Freedom During the Authoritarian Turn
Science at the “Turning Point”: Militarisation or Civilian Development?
Freedom of the Press? How German Media have been Covering the Gaza War
Academic Cooperation for Conflict Resolution and Just Peace

Dates: Sat., 12 April, 9:00 am – Sun., 13 April, 3:30 pm

Conference language: German and English (translation possible)

Organiser: Referat für internationale Studierende (RiS) in the AStA of the University of Hamburg

Supporters (continuously updated): Allianz für Kritische und Solidarische Wissenschaft, Association of Palestinian and Jewish Academics, AStA der Universität Hamburg, AStA der Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften (HAW) Hamburg, Students for Palestine Hamburg, Students for Palestine Münster, Act-for-Pal – Academic Action Network for Palestine

The event will be documented, but there will be no livestream.

Participation only after registration!

More information & registration: www.academia-under-attack.org