Scholars at Risk (SAR) is a global network dedicated to protecting threatened scholars and promoting academic freedom. This independent network, hosted at New York University, brings together more than 650 member institutions in 78 countries and assists over 300 threatened scholars each year. SAR’s latest Free to Think Report documented 382 attacks on scholars, students, and institutions in 59 countries and territories worldwide, from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. Europe was prominently represented, with developments in countries including Belarus, Georgia, Germany, Russia, Ukraine and Serbia. In the Western Balkans, Serbia featured particularly prominently, with documented violence and other pressures against students and university communities during the 2024–25 protest movement.

As a member of the SAR Network, the University of Rijeka, coordinated through CAS SEE, is developing activities focused on academic freedom, scholar protection and institutional resilience. Faculty and students in the UNIRI community can contribute by inviting threatened scholars to speak, participating in advocacy and academic freedom monitoring, organising student advocacy seminars, and engaging in research and learning initiatives.

SAR’s inaugural bulletin spotlights UNIRI membership.