Cara: Rescuing academics in danger for over 90 years

We are delighted to welcome Stephen Wordsworth, Executive Director of the Council for At-Risk Academics (Cara) to present this special guest lecture during University of Gloucestershire’s inaugural Sanctuary Week.

Cara’s mission – ‘the relief of suffering and the defence of learning and science’ – was set out in 1933, when its founders established a rescue mission for academics in Germany, many of whom, as ‘non-Aryans’, were suddenly being forced out of their jobs by the Nazis.

In his guest lecture, Stephen will be talking about how many academics and their families are still at risk, caught up in conflict, targeted by despots and extremists who see them as a threat, or suffering discrimination or persecution for a wide range of other reasons.

Stephen explains how, with the support of 135 UK universities and research institutes and hundreds of individuals, “The process can be quite complicated, but the aim is simple,” he says, “to keep them safe and create opportunities for them to share and further develop their hard-won skills so that, when the time comes, they are able to return home to help re-build the better, safer societies we all need.”

This public lecture is free, but tickets must be registered via Eventbrite.

Seats must be reserved in advance. Please visit Eventbrite to find out more about this event, and register your free place.

Sanctuary Week at University of Gloucestershire

In 2022, University of Gloucestershire reaffirmed its commitment to providing a safe and supportive community for refugees by pledging its support for the University of Sanctuary initiative. The University signed up to the initiative as a Supporting Organisation.

This further developed a strong track record in supporting individuals with a forced migration background such as working with Cara, offering the Michael Perham Sanctuary Scholarships, or sponsoring individuals through the Homes for Ukraine Scheme.

From Monday April 22 to Friday April 26, the University’s inaugural Sanctuary Week will be an opportunity to explore the work undertaken by the University and consider the issues of forced migration.