Periodic Reporting for period 2 - InSPIREurope (INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT, PROMOTE, AND INTEGRATE RESEARCHERS@RISK IN EUROPE)
Période du rapport: 2021-03-01 au 2022-08-31
The Inspireurope project is a coordinated, cross-sectoral, Europe-wide alliance for researchers at risk. Researchers at risk include researchers, scholars, scientists in any part of the world who are experiencing threats to their life, liberty, or research career, and those who are forced or have been forced to flee because of such threats. Researchers at risk report threats by a range of state and non-state actors, including armed militant and extremist groups, police and military forces, government authorities, and members of their own higher education communities. The types of threats reported range in scope and severity and include harassment, surveillance, denial of access or permissions, confiscation of notes and computers files, through to arbitrary dismissal, internal or external exile, arrest on false charges, trial and imprisonment, or torture.
Inspireurope began from the view that excellence in research depends upon open scientific debate, and is driven by a multiplicity of ideas, people, cultures and perspectives. When researchers are at risk, and excluded from participating in the global research circuit, whether due to discrimination, persecution, or violence, not only are individual lives and careers at risk; the quality, the very future of research is also at stake. The skills and attributes of researchers at risk represent significant economic and human capital potential for the receiving countries in Europe. However, for such potential to be fully realised on a Europe-wide scale, well-coordinated efforts by a diverse set of experienced actors is required. Toward this goal, and in recognition of a shared commitment to excellence in research and to the principle of academic freedom that is an essential pre-condition for world-class research, the Inspireurope project facilitated trans-national cooperation between European and national initiatives and programmes in support of researchers at risk.
Inspireurope began from the view that excellence in research depends upon open scientific debate, and is driven by a multiplicity of ideas, people, cultures and perspectives. When researchers are at risk, and excluded from participating in the global research circuit, whether due to discrimination, persecution, or violence, not only are individual lives and careers at risk; the quality, the very future of research is also at stake. The skills and attributes of researchers at risk represent significant economic and human capital potential for the receiving countries in Europe. However, for such potential to be fully realised on a Europe-wide scale, well-coordinated efforts by a diverse set of experienced actors is required. Toward this goal, and in recognition of a shared commitment to excellence in research and to the principle of academic freedom that is an essential pre-condition for world-class research, the Inspireurope project facilitated trans-national cooperation between European and national initiatives and programmes in support of researchers at risk.
Following the launch of Inspireurope in 2019, three developments in particular highlighted the value and need for the coordination work undertaken by project: first, the political upheaval in Afghanistan, second, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and third the Covid-19 pandemic. Since August 2021, when the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, organisations in the Inspireurope consortium have received and responded to unprecedented numbers of requests for help from scholars from Afghanistan, all seeking pathways to safety. The infrastructure and partnerships in place because of the Inspireurope project allowed partners to coordinate quickly to share information on scholars seeking evacuation, visa pathways to safety and other urgent matters. Six months after the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan came the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine, and since March 2022, there has been a steady increase in the numbers of Ukrainian researchers reaching out to organisations inside and outside the Inspireurope consortium for assistance finding temporary positions in Europe. Inspireurope partners worked closely with higher education institutions across Europe, national ministries and the European Commission to respond to the suddenness and scale of the need. The third phenomenon underscoring the importance of Inspireurope’s efforts has been the struggle against Covid-19. The pandemic placed new pressures on researchers and placed more researchers at risk. In the face of multiplying threats to researchers at risk and an increasing number of individuals who are affected by such threats, organisations in the Inspireurope consortium worked together to respond. Higher education networks, employers, associations, governments, national agencies and other actors turned to Inspireurope as an entry point for action.
The Inspireurope Coordinating Committee was the primary vehicle for ensuring cooperation across Europe, including sharing of expertise and good practices. Through outreach to business networks and companies, Inspireurope opened new doors, and created greater awareness of the availability in Europe of an untapped pool of diverse research talent. Through three high-level stakeholder fora, and mutual learning opportunities, Inspireurope brought policymakers, universities, funders, NGOs and other key research and innovation stakeholders together to share their perspectives on how to improve support in Europe for researchers at risk. Through direct guidance, coaching, training, and information for approximately 2,000 programme participants, Inspireurope contributed to building the skills and knowledge needed to support greater access by researchers at risk to existing EU, national and institutional support. The networks of the partner organisations ensured the broadest possible dissemination of project outputs: invitations to consultation processes, events, webinars, and reports have reached an audience of over 72,000.
The Inspireurope report “Researchers at Risk: Mapping Europe’s response” mapped existing support in Europe for researchers at risk and identified gaps and opportunities for future support. The report identified the excellent work underway in Europe in support of researchers at risk, as well as critical gaps and challenges. These areas were addressed in the project's policy recommendations report published in 2022. Recommendations included:
1. Acknowledge and support researchers at risk, including as a matter of defending academic freedom, and as a contribution to diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education and research
2. Establish a dedicated European fellowship scheme
3. Create national support programmes for researchers at risk
4. Facilitate access of researchers at risk to existing European funding programmes
5. Build capacity to enhance long-term prospects for researchers at risk
6. Expand opportunities beyond academia for researchers at risk
7. Consider intersectionality in the support for researchers at risk
8. Enhance visa pathways for researchers at risk
Inspireurope also published a report on National-level Actions in Europe in support of researchers at risk, which gathered the experiences and advice of representatives from 14 national-level initiatives in Europe. The report shared insights of those already involved in these efforts, and encouraged the development of new national-level initiatives where these do not yet exist. Publications and recordings of the project's webinars and events are all openly available on the Inspireurope website: https://sareurope.eu/inspireurope(s’ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre)
The Inspireurope Coordinating Committee was the primary vehicle for ensuring cooperation across Europe, including sharing of expertise and good practices. Through outreach to business networks and companies, Inspireurope opened new doors, and created greater awareness of the availability in Europe of an untapped pool of diverse research talent. Through three high-level stakeholder fora, and mutual learning opportunities, Inspireurope brought policymakers, universities, funders, NGOs and other key research and innovation stakeholders together to share their perspectives on how to improve support in Europe for researchers at risk. Through direct guidance, coaching, training, and information for approximately 2,000 programme participants, Inspireurope contributed to building the skills and knowledge needed to support greater access by researchers at risk to existing EU, national and institutional support. The networks of the partner organisations ensured the broadest possible dissemination of project outputs: invitations to consultation processes, events, webinars, and reports have reached an audience of over 72,000.
The Inspireurope report “Researchers at Risk: Mapping Europe’s response” mapped existing support in Europe for researchers at risk and identified gaps and opportunities for future support. The report identified the excellent work underway in Europe in support of researchers at risk, as well as critical gaps and challenges. These areas were addressed in the project's policy recommendations report published in 2022. Recommendations included:
1. Acknowledge and support researchers at risk, including as a matter of defending academic freedom, and as a contribution to diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education and research
2. Establish a dedicated European fellowship scheme
3. Create national support programmes for researchers at risk
4. Facilitate access of researchers at risk to existing European funding programmes
5. Build capacity to enhance long-term prospects for researchers at risk
6. Expand opportunities beyond academia for researchers at risk
7. Consider intersectionality in the support for researchers at risk
8. Enhance visa pathways for researchers at risk
Inspireurope also published a report on National-level Actions in Europe in support of researchers at risk, which gathered the experiences and advice of representatives from 14 national-level initiatives in Europe. The report shared insights of those already involved in these efforts, and encouraged the development of new national-level initiatives where these do not yet exist. Publications and recordings of the project's webinars and events are all openly available on the Inspireurope website: https://sareurope.eu/inspireurope(s’ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre)
The Inspireurope project has achieved the following impacts over three years (up to August 2022):
Improved, sustainable, and professionalised support network in Europe for researchers at risk;
Enhanced knowledge at the European policy level of specific challenges facing researchers at risk in Europe along with a road map for addressing these;
Better transfer and sharing of knowledge between existing national-level initiatives and between academic and non-academic sector on support for researchers at risk;
Improved career prospects for researchers at risk inside and outside academia;
Increased capacity & readiness of organisations across Europe to host, fund, or employ researchers at risk;
Increased involvement of Central, Eastern and Southern Europe stakeholders in activities to support researchers at risk.
Improved, sustainable, and professionalised support network in Europe for researchers at risk;
Enhanced knowledge at the European policy level of specific challenges facing researchers at risk in Europe along with a road map for addressing these;
Better transfer and sharing of knowledge between existing national-level initiatives and between academic and non-academic sector on support for researchers at risk;
Improved career prospects for researchers at risk inside and outside academia;
Increased capacity & readiness of organisations across Europe to host, fund, or employ researchers at risk;
Increased involvement of Central, Eastern and Southern Europe stakeholders in activities to support researchers at risk.