NEAR Newsletter September 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 (September 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
Morocco: Arrest and Alleged Torture of Moroccan Teachers
Three Moroccan teachers have been arrested along with four others for allegedly kidnapping and threatening a former member of Islamic organization Justice and Spirituality, Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported on 1st September. Moroccan law has been repeatedly broken during the arrest and ongoing trial, and the men have been charged with an offence that is not legally recognised. The defendants, who all deny the accusations, have told lawyers that they have been tortured and threatened with rape whilst held in custody.
Colombia: Appeal to Free Colombian Professor
Education International has launched a global petition calling for the release of Professor Miguel Beltrán, who was imprisoned in 2009 on charges that violate his right to academic freedom.
Iran: University Professors Facing Forced “Retirement”
An increase in the number of cases of non-religious university professors being ‘retired’ has caused concern among the opposition about the continuing infringement of university autonomy in the Islamic Republic. Members of the Iranian parliament have also expressed concern about the consequences of this on the scientific community and the country’s development process.
Iran: Additional six year prison sentence for Iranian scholar
Emadeddin Baghi, prominent Iranian scholar and human rights activist, has received a six-year prison sentence for an interview he conducted for BBC’s Persian language channel.
** 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
Afghanistan
College Lawyer in a Land of Few Laws
The Chronicle of Higher Education, 19/09/2010
Australia
Regulator mooted to ensure academic freedom
The Australian, 01/09/2010
Spirit of the money age leads academy to mislay its values
Times Higher Education, 02/09/2010
AUSTRALIA: Quality body to monitor academic freedom
University World News, 05/09/2010
Bahrain
Bahrain: Pursue Torture Allegations
Human Rights Watch, 01/09/2010
Botswana
Great versus Good: scholar vindicated in banishment battle
Times Higher Education, 25/09/2010
'African intellectuals suck up to governments'
Mmegi Online, 29/09/2010
Burma (Myanmar)
Political prisoners in Myanmar must be freed
Amnesty, 23/09/2010
Canada
Canada must free scientists to talk to journalists
Nature, 29/09/2010
China
For Chinese Academics, 'Great Fire Wall' Hinders Networking With Colleagues
Chronicle of Higher Education, 08/09/2010
In China, Learning to the Government's Tune
The Chronicle of Higher Education, 19/09/2010
Scourge of China's academic fakes attacked
The Independent, 23/09/2010
Colombia
Release imprisoned Colombian professor,EI demands
Education International, 10/09/2010
Colombia: University of Antioquia Closed After Clash Between Students And Police
Global Voices , 29/09/2010
Cuba
Obama plans to relax limits on academic travel to Cuba
Times Higher Education, 02/09/2010
Egypt
Egypt: Disclose Fate of ‘Disappeared' Student
Human Rights Watch, 03/09/2010
France
Jewish teacher suspended in France for teaching 'too much' about Holocaust
Haaretz, 01/09/2010
Ghana
University lecturers to strike
All africa News, 14/09/2010
India
Kerala wants NIA to investigate lecturer attack
NDTV, 06/09/2010
Kerala church faces flak for sacking professor
The Economic Times, 08/09/2010
The logic behind Honorary Doctorates
The Hindu, 09/09/2010
Professor whose Hand was Chopped off is Fired
University World News, 19/09/2010
Anti-corruption rules for private institutions
University World News, 26/09/2010
India Reopens Kashmir’s Schools, but Many Stay Away
New York Times, 27/09/2010
Iran
Exiled Ally Talks About Jailed Iranian Activist's Torture Allegations
RFE/RL, 11/09/2010
Probe into “political cleansing” of professors
University World News, 12/09/2010
Religious Scholar in Iran Detained After Prosecutor Visit
Radio Free Europe, 15/09/2010
The Reign of Hard-line Students in Iran's Universities
The Middle East Forum, 21/09/2010
Iran Establishes New Censorship Board
Radio Free Europe, 22/09/2010
Iran's new wave of social engineering
Open Democracy , 29/09/2010
Iraq
A Message From Iraq to Its Exiled Scholars: Please Consider Returning Home
Chronicle of Higher Education, 29/09/2010
Israel / Palestine
Israel: Activist Convicted After Unfair Trial
Human Rights Watch, 08/09/2010
At Ben-Gurion University student protests lead to disciplinary action
Haaratz, 15/09/2010
BGU reprimands two more students over protests
Haaratz, 16/09/2010
News Analysis: Hamas, UNRWA in rift over human rights teaching
Xinhuanet, 19/09/2010
Italy
Family fiefdoms blamed for tainting Italian universities
The Independent, 25/09/2010
Jordan
Jordan: A Poetic Security Threat?
Human Rights Watch, 03/09/2010
Liberia
Liberia: The University's Image is Endangered
All Africa, 17/09/2010
Morocco
Morocco: Arrests, Alleged Torture of Islamist Movement Figures
Human Rights Watch, 01/09/2010
Nigeria
NIGERIA: Dramatic increase in female undergraduates
University World News, 05/09/2010
ASUU members in S/East govt-owned varsities stage protest
Nigerian Tribune, 07/09/2010
Philippines
44 hurt in Bar exams blast
Manila Bulletin, 26/09/2010
Puerto Rico
'Wanted': Campus Leaders With 'Few Morals'
Chronicle of Higher Education, 26/09/2010
Russia
Can education in Russia be reformed?
The Daily Telegraph, 07/09/2010
Singapore
Free speech a concern for Yale-Singapore college
Yale Daily News, 28/09/2010
South Africa
SOUTH AFRICA: Vice-chancellors, law deans slam bill
University World News, 05/09/2010
Jury out on intellectual property laws
University World News, 09/09/2010
WSU shuts down Mthatha campus
Mail and Guardian, 20/09/2010
Israel, South Africa and Academic Boycotts
Inside Higher Education, 27/09/2010
Wits students charged
The Sowetan, 28/09/2010
Hijacking Apartheid
Jerusalem Post, 29/09/2010
SAfrica school rethinks Israel ties
Al Jazeera, 30/09/2010
Syria
Syria: Release Student Blogger Held Incommunicado
Human Rights Watch, 20/09/2010
Syria must release blogger at risk of torture
Amnesty, 27/09/2010
Thailand
Teachers Again are the Victims
Bangkok Post, 09/09/2010
Thailand: Insurgents Target Teachers in South
Human Rights Watch, 10/09/2010
Southern teachers want better security
Bangkok Post, 13/09/2010
Teachers ask Suthep to pay visit to region
Bangkok Post, 15/09/2010
Violence endangers Thai schools
AlJazeera, 21/09/2010
Thailand: Lift Emergency Decree
Human Rights Watch, 23/09/2010
Turkey
Turkish physicists lose faith in Hawking
Hurriyet, 06/09/2010
Uganda
Questions over honorary professorships
University World News, 26/09/2010
Ukraine
Harassment of Historian Raised Censorship Fears
Kyiv Post, 17/09/2010
United Arabic Emirates
DUBAI: Regulation is not the only challenge
University World News, 05/09/2010
United Kingdom
British Official Calls for Tighter Curbs on Student Visas
The Chronicle of Higher Education, 06/09/2010
Budget Cuts in Britain Could Hit Scientific Research Hard
The Chronicle of Higher Education, 27/09/2010
United States of America
Solidarity vs. Contingency
Inside Higher Education, 07/09/2010
Return to tenure urged
Nature, 15/09/2010
For-profits Give Thousands to Politicians Who Oppose "Gainful Employment" Rule
The Chronicle of Higher Education, 17/09/2010
A Claim of Pro-Islam Bias in Textbooks
New York Times, 22/09/2010
Various Countries
Academe as a Vocation
Chronicle of Higher Education, 08/09/2010
OECD: Higher education challenges in Russia, Poland
University World News, 15/09/2010
Cooperation should set future agenda in Africa
Times Higher Education, 30/09/2010
United Nations Human Rights Council Should Adopt Resolution
Article 19, 30/09/2010
Vietnam
Vietnam Putting Professor on Trial for Online Dissent
CNS News, 30/09/2010
Education in Vietnam: Low grades for the party
The Economist, 30/09/2010
Zimbabwe
University Leaders Threatened with Jail
University World News, 19/09/2010
Bindura University Blame 'Armed Robbers' for Student Deaths
All Africa, 22/09/2010
Two students killed by security guards
University World News, 26/09/2010
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