Scholars at risk: how can universities protect researchers facing attacks?
Researchers are increasingly expected to take on new roles. In addition to generating new knowledge through scientific methods and presenting it within their academic communities, they are also required to communicate their work to non-academic publics. In this context, researchers do not always encounter receptive audiences, particularly when they engage with socially contentious issues such as climate change, migration, artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, vaccinations, the energy transition, or the fundamental principles of liberal democracy. Such engagement can give rise to personal attacks, ranging from defamation to explicit threats. To mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the association Scholars at Risk, researchers and practitioners gathered on 26 January 2026 at the University of Klagenfurt to discuss how universities can support researchers when public engagement becomes not only critical but, at times, openly hostile.
