Iris Vernekohl
Scholars at Risk
Iris Vernekohl is Senior Policy Advisor for Global Engagement at Ruhr University Bochum and a member of the steering committee of the German Section of the Scholars at Risk Network, a global network dedicated to protecting threatened scholars and defending academic freedom. Through its work, Scholars at Risk provides temporary academic placements, advisory support, and advocacy for researchers facing persecution, imprisonment, or censorship, while systematically monitoring attacks on higher education worldwide. Drawing on this experience, she contributes to the discussion by highlighting academic freedom as a fundamental human right and a globally endangered public good. She also brings concrete insights into real cases of intimidation, political pressure, and displacement within the international academic community.