Network For Education and Academic Rights
Encyclopedia
Network For Education and Academic Rights (NEAR) is a membership-based, non-governmental organisation which works to promote and protect academic freedom
and academic rights.
NEAR facilitates international collaboration between organisations and individuals active in issues of academic freedom and education rights, and seeks to defend the human rights of those in the higher education sector, including academics, researchers and students. NEAR was launched at the UNESCO
offices in Paris in June 2001.
NEAR receives reports of academic freedom violations from its members or credible media sources, and works to increase awareness and response through its emergency action alert system, bulletins and media outreach. NEAR also works with academics and activists worldwide active on issues of academic freedom and academic rights to encourage joint action and build capacity through its series of international workshops.
NEAR members include Amnesty International
, the AAAS- American Association for the Advancement of Sciences, the AAUP
, Article 19
, the ACU
, CODESRIA, Education International
, Index on Censorship
, IAU
, IFEX
, International PEN
, Human Rights Watch
, the National Academy of Science, UCU
and the World University Service.
NEAR also maintains partnerships with other associations and organisations with related objectives, including Scholars at Risk
, the African Academic Freedom Network and the Arab Society for Academic Freedom.
NEAR is hosted by the Council for Assisting Refugee Academics
in London. Professor John Akker is the Executive Director.
Academic freedom
Academic freedom is the belief that the freedom of inquiry by students and faculty members is essential to the mission of the academy, and that scholars should have freedom to teach or communicate ideas or facts without being targeted for repression, job loss, or imprisonment.Academic freedom is a...
and academic rights.
NEAR facilitates international collaboration between organisations and individuals active in issues of academic freedom and education rights, and seeks to defend the human rights of those in the higher education sector, including academics, researchers and students. NEAR was launched at the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
offices in Paris in June 2001.
NEAR receives reports of academic freedom violations from its members or credible media sources, and works to increase awareness and response through its emergency action alert system, bulletins and media outreach. NEAR also works with academics and activists worldwide active on issues of academic freedom and academic rights to encourage joint action and build capacity through its series of international workshops.
NEAR members include Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
, the AAAS- American Association for the Advancement of Sciences, the AAUP
American Association of University Professors
The American Association of University Professors is an organization of professors and other academics in the United States. AAUP membership is about 47,000, with over 500 local campus chapters and 39 state organizations...
, Article 19
ARTICLE 19
ARTICLE 19 is a London-based human rights organisation with a specific mandate and focus on the defence and promotion of freedom of expression and freedom of information worldwide...
, the ACU
ACU
ACU may refer to:Educational institutions* Abilene Christian University, a private Christian university located in Abilene, Texas* Ahram Candian University, a private Egyptian university located in 6 October City, Giza, Egypt...
, CODESRIA, Education International
Education International
Education International is a global union federation of teachers' trade unions. Currently, it has 401 member organizations in 172 countries and territories, representing over 30 million education personnel from pre-school to university...
, Index on Censorship
Index on Censorship
Index on Censorship is a campaigning publishing organisation for freedom of expression, which produces an award-winning quarterly magazine of the same name from London. The present chief executive of Index on Censorship, since 2008, is the author, broadcaster and commentator John Kampfner, former...
, IAU
IAU
IAU may refer to:*International Astronomical Union*International American University*International American University College of Medicine*International Association of Universities*International Association of Ultrarunners...
, IFEX
IFEX
IFEX may refer to:*Impulse Fire Extinguishing System*International Freedom of Expression Exchange*Ifosfamide, drug marketed as Mitoxana or Ifex*International Food Exhibition*International Film Exchange, a film distribution company...
, International PEN
International PEN
PEN International , the worldwide association of writers, was founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere....
, Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
, the National Academy of Science, UCU
UCU
UCU may stand for:*Uganda Christian University, church-based university near Kampala, Uganda*Ukrainian Catholic University, Catholic university in Lviv, Ukraine*University College Utrecht, international Honors College of Utrecht University, Netherlands...
and the World University Service.
NEAR also maintains partnerships with other associations and organisations with related objectives, including Scholars at Risk
Scholars At Risk
Scholars at Risk is a U.S.-based international network of academic institutions organized to support and defend the principles of academic freedom and to defend the human rights of scholars around the world....
, the African Academic Freedom Network and the Arab Society for Academic Freedom.
NEAR is hosted by the Council for Assisting Refugee Academics
Council for Assisting Refugee Academics
The Council for Assisting Refugee Academics is a British charitable organization dedicated to assisting academics who, for reasons including persecution and conflict, are unable to continue their research in their countries of origin...
in London. Professor John Akker is the Executive Director.