NEAR Newsletter December 2010

Welcome to the NEAR Newsletter. In this edition you will find our most recent Action Alerts and also an ‘Academic Freedom in the Media’ section, listing news by country (December 2010). Any comments and suggestions about the content and layout of the newsletter will be gratefully received at roisin.joyce@nearinternational.org.

NEAR Action Alerts *Taken from the NEAR website

Iran: Iranian scholar Emadeddin Baghi Re-Imprisoned

Mr Emadeddin Baghi, prominent Iranian scholar, journalist and human rights defender, was re-imprisoned on 5 December 2010 despite sever health problems, Scholars at Risk reported on 6 December 2010.

** Please continue to send us any relevant cases involving threats to academic freedom and education rights, for potential alerts.

Academic Freedom in the Media *By country, taken from the NEAR website

Angola

Angola: Revise New Security Law, Free Prisoners in Cabinda
Human Rights Watch, 09/12/2010

Bahrain

Lawyers for 25 detained activists stage walk-out in protest against torture
Reporters without Borders, 09/12/2010

Belarus

Leading A University In Exile
Inside Higher Education, 05/12/2010

Belarus jails 600 activists over election unrest
BBC News, 20/12/2010

Belarus PEN Offices Searched and Equipment Seized
English PEN, 29/12/2010

'Covered In Blood' -- Belarusian Protester Talks About His Arrest, Imprisonment
Radio Free Europe, 30/12/2010

Bulgaria

Unprecedented attack: anger over Bulgarian science 'snub'
Times Higher Education, 16/12/2010

Unprecedented attack: anger over Bulgarian science 'snub'
The Times Higher Education, 16/12/2010

Canada

Academic freedom and Canada's faith-based universities
vancouver sun, 01/12/2010

'Academic freedom' turns to religious persecution
vancouver sun, 01/12/2010

China

Academic freedom a concern for new Shanghai campus
Washington Square News, 02/12/2010

China: Release 2010 Nobel Peace Laureate
Human Rights Watch, 07/12/2010

China cracks down on activists ahead of Liu Xiaobo Nobel prize ceremony
The Guardian, 09/12/2010

From where I sit - When it's who, not what, you know
Times Higher Education, 16/12/2010

CHINA: Time to reassess minority education policy?
University World News, 19/12/2010

Iran

MESA 2010 Academic Freedom award given to an Iranian organization
Payvand, 02/12/2010

Iran arrests over attacks on nuclear scientists
BBC News, 03/12/2010

Punishing Stars: Systematic Discrimination and Exclusion in Iranian Higher Education
International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, 04/12/2010

Iranian Students Stage Protests
Wall Street Journal, 07/12/2010

Iran: Escalating Repression of University Students
Human Rights Watch, 07/12/2010

Iran Says UN Should Condemn Scientist's Killing
Radio Free Europe, 11/12/2010

IRAN: Student stars that punish, not reward
University World News, 12/12/2010

Majid Tavakoli’s Family Unable to Visit Him Due to Distance
International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, 14/12/2010

Iranian Religious Scholar Jailed On Propaganda, Insult Charges
Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, 16/12/2010

Iran: Rescind Execution Order for Kurdish Student
Human Rights Watch, 24/12/2010

Student Activist Faces New Charges in Prison
The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, 29/12/2010

Israel / Palestine

Higher Education Council: Prevent politicization of academia
YNet News, 21/12/2010

Korea, North

NORTH KOREA: University events raising tensions
University World News, 05/12/2010

Malaysia

Malaysian Students Want Voices Heard
New York Times, 03/12/2010

Pakistan

PAKISTAN: University closed after bomb threat
University World News, 05/12/2010

Pakistan: Balochistan Militants Killing Teachers
Human Rights Watch, 13/12/2010

Puerto Rico

Riot act one: man the barricades
Times Higher Education, 16/12/2010

Puerto Rico students renew protests over tuition rise
Reuters, 22/12/2010

Qatar

Doha Debates votes for freedom of speech
Gulf Times, 07/12/2010

In Qatar, Educators From Around the World Talk About Change
The Chronicle of Higher Education, 08/12/2010

Russia

US embassy cables: Stalin's spectre haunts Russia
Guardian, 02/12/2010

Unfairly imprisoned Russian: Amnesty letters were 'connection to freedom'
Amnesty International, 03/12/2010

Saudi Arabia

University professor held over Internet article about royal family
IFEX, 08/12/2010

Sri Lanka

University Student Activism and Academic Freedom
Sri Lanka Guardian, 25/12/2010

Ukraine

UKRAINE: Universities 'face new Iron Curtain'
University World News, 19/12/2010

United Kingdom

Knowing when to say no
Times Higher Education, 16/12/2010

United States of America

A&M limits faculty's open-records assignments
The Statesman, 02/12/2010

Don't Mention the Cables, Future Diplomats
New York Times, 04/12/2010

Legality of Campus Police at Religious Colleges Is at Issue in N. Carolina Court
Chronicle of Higher Education, 05/12/2010

Why WikiLeaks Is Bad for Scholars
Chronicle of Higher Education, 05/12/2010

Cables Spilled by WikiLeaks Portray College Campuses as Ideological Battlegrounds
Chronicle of Higher Education, 08/12/2010

Faculty Worry That Their Influence Is Waning, a New Book Says
The Chronicle of Higher Education, 12/12/2010

Defining Academic Freedom
Inside Higher Education, 14/12/2010

Tenure: Mend It, Don’t End It
Inside Higher Education, 14/12/2010

Cancellation Won’t End Dispute
Inside Higher Education, 14/12/2010

Defining Academic Freedom
Inside Higher Education, 21/12/2010

Venezuela

Opposing sides of Venezuela's academy clash over policy and budgets
The Times Higher Education, 18/12/2010

Venezuela students protest at university law
BBC, 23/12/2010

Vietnam

Blogger’s detention extended another four months, France urged to step up pressure
Reporters without Borders, 14/12/2010

The Network for Education and Academic Rights (NEAR) is a membership-based, non-governmental organisation which facilitates international collaboration between organisations active in issues of academic freedom and educational rights, and committed to promoting an understanding of, and respect for, the values enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

For more information about NEAR, please visit our website at www.nearinternational.org

For further information please contact:-

Roisin Joyce
Deputy Director
roisin.joyce@nearinternational.org