Under Threat: International Academia and Press Freedom. In memoriam Giulio Regeni

Event Type
Public panel discussion

Location / Date
Bonn, 25.01.2017

German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE), Deutsche Welle (DW)

On 25 January 2016, the Anniversary of the Egyptian Revolution, Giulio Regeni, PhD Student at Cambridge University and Guest Researcher at German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE), disappeared in Cairo. Ten days later he was found dead, with signs of cruel torture. This event, as well as the increasing persecution of researchers and journalists in Turkey, China and elsewhere, call for a reflection on the ethical principles of Germany’s international research collaboration.

We invited for a panel discussion on the importance of freedom of research and opinion. How can we encourage independent research in autocracies that oppress or even torture and kill critical academics? Which criteria should guide the selection of our academic partners? How can we ensure that collaboration does not imply personal risks for them? And how can we help persecuted researchers and their academic institutions? We opened the event with a short presentation of Giulio’s last research paper which he developed with Georgeta Auktor while working at the DIE.

Programme

Welcoming address

• Tilman Altenburg, Head of Department "Sustainable Economic and Social Development", German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)
• Christopher Springate, Deutsche Welle

Appraisal of Giulio Regeni

• Georgeta Auktor, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, presents key findings of a paper she co-authored with Giulio Regeni before his disappearance.

Panel discussion

• Enno Aufderheide, Secretary General, Alexander-von-Humboldt Foundation
• Wafaa El-Badry, Journalist, Deutsche Welle, DW Arabic
• Christine Meissler, Adviser for "Protection of Civil Society", Brot für die Welt
• Mehmet Ugur, University of Greenwich Business School

Moderation

• Christopher Springate, Deutsche Welle

Hinweis

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