Scholars at Risk (SAR) presented the 2016 Courage to Think Defender Award to student representatives, including those from Carleton University, on behalf of Egypt’s wrongfully detained students and scholars, in recognition of their commitment to exercising the right to think, share and question ideas despite tremendous risks.
“I have had the opportunity to connect with the meaning of academic freedom and its importance,” said Patara McKeen, president of the Carleton SAR student group. “Academic freedom allows us the opportunity to think in new and exiting ways, as well as to question and share ideas.”
SAR selected student representatives to accept the award to recognize their efforts to conduct research and advocacy on behalf of threatened scholars and students around the world.
“The SAR student group at Carleton has had a tremendous first year,” said Melanie Adrian, associate professor in Carleton’s Department of Law and Legal Studies. “They have planned and executed well attended events, have a strong social media presence, and committed student leadership. This group distinguished itself amongst the student groups worldwide for their dedication.“
Over the past several years, there has been a crackdown on Egypt’s higher education community, including the reported use of violence, wrongful prosecutions and imprisonment, professional retaliation and travel restrictions. According to the Association for Free Thought and Expression, over 2,000 university students and professors have been detained since July 2013.
The award was presented during the Courage to Think Award Dinner, a celebratory event at which SAR recognized the contributions of its member institutions and partners. The dinner featured remarks by Carleton’s Adrian and a keynote interview of Emad Shahin by Nathalie Des Rosiers, of the University of Ottawa. Shahin is a visiting professor at Georgetown University sentenced to death in Egypt in abstentia.
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Monday, July 4, 2016 in News Releases
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