Today, the Council for At-Risk Academics (Cara), a UK-based charity founded in 1933 to rescue academics at risk from persecution, violence, and conflict, will launch a fundraising appeal with a roadshow which will tour some of the UK’s most prestigious academic institutions.
Launching this evening with an event at the University of Glasgow, Cara’s appeal is in direct response to an urgent and unprecedented surge in applications from academics in need of support and rescue, due to escalating conflicts and political instability around the world in countries and regions including Ukraine, Sudan, Afghanistan, Gaza and Syria.
At the event, Cara Fellow, Dr Olena Taukchi will give a speech about Cara’s support in her escape from Ukraine following Russia’s illegal invasion of the country in 2022. Cara, through its extensive network of contacts, found Dr Taukchi a placement at the University of Glasgow’s School of Modern Languages & Cultures where she is now a Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow.
Speaking at the event, Dr Taukchi will say: “I had to flee Ukraine in August 2022. Kharkiv, my home city, is only about 20 miles from the Russian border, and the bombings never stopped. It was not easy to reach Ukraine’s western border, especially travelling from Kharkiv. I travelled in my neighbours’ car, and it took us six days to cover the distance of around 685 miles. The roads were clogged with people fleeing the country, and petrol was scarce.
“Cara not only provided me with the safety and security of living and working in the UK but also helped me fulfil a lifelong dream. As an English teacher, I had always wanted to explore the UK, travel across the country, and experience working at a British university. Thanks to their support, I now have the opportunity to continue my academic career while immersing myself in the culture I have long admired.”
Over the coming weeks, the roadshow will continue to the University of Durham (24 September), the University of Edinburgh (25 September), the London School of Economics (24 October), and the University of St Andrews (30 October).
Stephen Wordsworth, Executive Director of Cara, will also speak at the event this evening, “Glasgow, like many universities across the UK, has been an unwavering champion of our mission to rescue and rehome at-risk academics.
“However, we now stand at a critical turning point. The number of desperate pleas for our help has reached unprecedented levels, and while we’ve made remarkable strides — safely relocating more academics than ever before, with the generous support of our university partners and others — the need continues to outpace our resources. To ensure we can respond to those still in peril, we urgently need to raise more funds to underpin our efforts to provide the lifeline so many academics desperately need.”
The events will build further awareness of the charity’s continuing mission to rescue academics at risk and protect academic freedom, encouraging the academic community to engage further with Cara to help more of their colleagues who are in danger.
In the past three academic years alone (2021/22-2023/24), Cara has received over 2,000 requests for help from at-risk academics seeking temporary refuge in the UK, equivalent to a near 400% increase in demand, compared to the previous three academic years (2018/19-2020/21). This is the highest level the charity has recorded since its foundation in the 1930s as a rescue mission for academics in Germany under threat from the Nazis.
To assist at-risk academics, Cara uses its experience and extensive network of contacts, cultivated during its 91-year history, to facilitate their escape. The charity helps scholars to navigate security, logistical, geographical, travel and visa challenges, finding them top academic placements at UK universities and collating a package of funding support and practical arrangements. These rescue missions to enable them to continue their work in safety can take six months to coordinate from start to finish and require substantial investment from Cara and partner universities.
Amanullah Ahmadzai, an Afghan Cara Fellow who is currently studying for a PhD in Law at the University of Edinburgh:
“The political changes in Afghanistan after August 2021 forced me to leave the country. Beyond the loss of my rights and freedom and the risk to our lives, I had been mentally tortured every day by the unpleasant situation. I could not find a value or a place to contribute to higher education, rule of law, reform, and justice, all of which I devoted my life and am passionate about. Cara helped me keep hope and prepare myself to become stronger and better contribute to these values.”
In 2023, Cara supported over 220 active fellows from different countries in placements at a wide range of UK universities, with generous support from university hosts. Numbers are projected to be higher still in 2024, with the largest number of applications received between January and June 2024 coming from Palestine, Afghanistan, Sudan and Syria.
Cara currently has 22 active Fellows in placements in leading Scottish universities, rising to 23 in coming weeks.
Eilidh MacDonald, Cara Scotland Manager, “Scottish higher education institutions have long recognised the vital work of Cara in contributing to their essential objective to protect and preserve academic freedom. Thanks to their generous support, Cara activities continue to grow in Scotland with 17 of the 19 higher education institutions committed to supporting our work either financially or by hosting a Cara fellow – with 22 fellows currently placed in Scotland. It is fantastic to see this continue with Cara’s UK university tour kicking off in Glasgow.”
Cara’s fundraising roadshow launched this evening will raise awareness of the charity’s important and intensifying work, emphasising that with more funds, donated by universities, alumni and others across the higher education community, they can help more and more of the growing number of academics in peril.
