The Beacon Newsletter
The Beacon is IIE-SRF’s monthly newsletter. It features news items about innovative program initiatives and the academic achievements of IIE-SRF’s fellows and alumni. The newsletter also includes messages from IIE-SRF partners on why they have committed their essential resources, time, expertise, wisdom, and funding, to the mission of rescuing threatened scholars and national academies.
Previous Editions:
Thursday, December 16, 2021
IIE-SRF fellows from Afghanistan arrive to safety at U.S. host institutions
Three scholars accept post-fellowship positions
IIE-SRF Alliance welcomes new partners
Thursday, November 18, 2021
From rescue to rebuilding: IIE-SRF’s Distance Learning Initiative strengthens Iraqi higher education
Thursday, October 21, 2021
Fall semester update: 80 IIE-SRF scholars from nearly 20 countries undertake fellowships across the globe
IIE-SRF awards fellowships to 14 new scholars from 7 countries
IIE-SRF Europe is now open
Update on IIE’s Afghanistan Crisis Response
Allan Goodman and Gordon Brown pen an op-ed on the challenges that displaced individuals face in accessing education
Thursday, September 16, 2021
Update on IIE-SRF’s support for the Afghan academic community
IIE-SRF and Women Graduates-USA announce partnership to support threatened and displaced women scholars to forge new professional pathways
Friday, July 30, 2021
UNESCO-TWAS / IsDB Young Refugee and Displaced Scientists Programme selects IIE-SRF scholars from Syria and Yemen
IIE-SRF Alliance spotlight: Catholic University of Maule
Three IIE-SRF scholars accept post-fellowship appointments
Wednesday, June 30, 2021
Career options beyond academia for displaced scholars: IIE-SRF partners with Global Young Academy and Scholars at Risk for webinar discussion
IIE-SRF awards fellowships to 14 new scholars from 8 countries
IIE-SRF welcomes 11 first-time host institutions in 10 countries
IIE-SRF Europe opening in autumn 2021
Webinar recording: The enduring impact of IIE-SRF scholars on communities worldwide
Thursday, May 20, 2021
Spotlight on Malaysia: IIE-SRF’s leading host country in Southeast Asia
Remembering Dr. Vartan Gregorian, a global leader in higher education and champion of IIE-SRF’s work
Welcoming new IIE-SRF Alliance partners
New study documents the far-reaching impacts and achievements of over 200 IIE-SRF alumni from 38 countries
Chile becomes 50th country to host an IIE-SRF fellow
Thursday, March 18, 2021
Alumnus Mohammed Almahfali of Yemen works to rebuild, bolster home country from Sweden
Partner spotlight: Stanford University’s long history of support for threatened and displaced scholars
IIE-SRF supports 900th scholar, awards new fellowships to scholars from 5 countries
IIE-SRF Dialogues webinar on Yemen’s higher education crisis (March 25, 2021)
IIE-SRF welcomes new host country
Thursday, February 18, 2021
Dr. Mariët Westermann and Dr. George Rupp assume new leadership roles within IIE-SRF
Alumnus Issam Eido of Syria is featured speaker at Columbia University workshop
IIE-SRF welcomes new host country
MESA Global Academy scholarships to support Middle East Studies Scholars displaced from MENA region (deadline to apply is April 15, 2021)
Four IIE-SRF scholars accept post-fellowship appointments in Canada and Europe
Tuesday, January 19, 2021
In 2020, IIE-SRF supported over 190 scholars from 31 countries, in partnership with more than 100 higher education institutions and other partners in 21 countries. Our 2020 Year in Review edition of the Beacon includes:
Informational charts including top host countries, hosting regions, scholars’ fields of expertise, and scholars’ regions of origin
A list of our 2020 host partners
2020 fellowship outcomes
2020 media highlights
Wednesday, December 16, 2020
From the IIE archives: Supporting Black South Africans’ access to higher education during apartheid
IIE and GCPEA to host Attacks on Higher Education webinar on January 27
12 new scholars from 6 countries awarded IIE-SRF fellowships
IIE-SRF welcomes four new host institutions from Germany, Sierra Leone, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom
Thursday, November 19, 2020
From the IIE scholar rescue archives: Renowned physiologist Rudolf Höber
IIE-SRF participates in new initiative to support displaced scientists
New article on IIE’s past and present scholar rescue efforts
Sierra Leone becomes newest country to host an IIE-SRF fellow
Thursday, October 20, 2020
Medical parasitologist Dr. Irene Sumbele of Cameroon has been named the 2020 IIE-SRF Beau Biden Scholar. Through her IIE-SRF fellowship at Cornell University, Dr. Sumbele honors Beau’s legacy through her health education initiatives and research to prevent and manage infectious diseases.
Thursday, October 1, 2020
A new publication, A Beacon of Hope: IIE’s First 100 Years of Scholar Rescue, commemorates IIE’s century-long history of supporting threatened and displaced scholars
Friday, September 18, 2020
IIE scholar rescue past and present: Supporting women STEM scholars
IIE-SRF awards fellowships to 11 new scholars from 7 countries
5 fellows and alumni accept post-fellowship positions at institutions in 4 countries
Wednesday, August 26, 2020
A new partnership initiative, the IIE-SRF Alliance, strengthens global effort to save the lives and work of threatened and displaced scholars
Monday, July 27, 2020
IIE-SRF establishes the Emmy Noether Chair to support outstanding women scholars facing threats to their lives and careers
GCPEA releases Education Under Attack 2020 report
Three first-time host institutions welcomed IIE-SRF fellows in spring 2020
IIE-SRF alumnus and professor Sufian Zhemukhov of Russia moonlights as a comedic storyteller
Tuesday, June 23, 2020
IIE scholar rescue past and present: Supporting champions of human rights and social justice
SRF awards fellowships to 11 new scholars from 3 countries
Help support scholars in need with a gift to IIE-SRF
Thursday, May 21, 2020
From the IIE scholar rescue archives: Nobel Prize recipient and physicist Felix Bloch
Remembering scholar, playwright, and IIE-SRF alumnus Riad Ismat
Fresh food in the desert: Alumnus Dr. Moaed Al Meselmani of Syria leads innovative agricultural project
Five fellows and alumni accept post-fellowship positions
Thursday, April 23, 2020
Threatened scholars supported by IIE make invaluable contributions to medicine and public health
Microbiologist Fathiah Zakham of Yemen honored with award for women scientists in the developing world
IIE-SRF Selection Committee awards fellowships to 13 new scholars from 6 countries
Four first-time host institutions welcomed IIE-SRF fellows in winter 2019
Monday, March 16, 2020
IIE marks the 100th anniversary of its first scholar rescue effort
Thursday, February 13, 2020
IIE-SRF responds to rise in applications from Cameroon
Q&A with IIE-SRF Partnerships for Scholar Advancement (PSA) editor Barbara Jasny
Seven fellows and alumni accept post-fellowship positions
Thursday, January 23, 2020
2019 Year in Review
Thursday, December 19, 2019
New partnership with the Middle East Studies Association’s Global Academy
Q&A with IIE-SRF Partnerships for Scholar Advancement (PSA) advisors: Florence Chaverneff and Sloka Iyengar
Fellow from Manipur, India featured in IIE’s centennial video
Four first-time host institutions welcomed IIE-SRF fellows in fall 2019
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Scholars Breaking Boundaries: Dr. Mohammed Muharram of Yemen
Alumnus Alfred Brownell of Liberia delivers keynote address at AAAS Science, Technology and Human Rights Conference
Seven fellows and alumni accept post-fellowship positions
Thursday, October 24, 2019
IIE-SRF and Philadelphia University in Jordan celebrate 10+ years of partnership
Partnerships for Scholar Advancement (PSA) partners support scholars’ career advancement and professional development
Eight first-time host institutions welcomed IIE-SRF fellows in Summer 2019
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Fall semester issue
IIE-SRF Selection Committee awards fellowships to 12 new scholars from 6 countries
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Q&A with IIE-SRF Partnerships for Scholar Advancement advisor: Dr. Muhammad Zaman, Boston University
IIE-SRF alumni survey reveals scholars’ global impact after fellowship
Thursday, July 11, 2019
Dr. Barakatullo Ashurov of Tajikistan named this year’s IIE-SRF Beau Biden Scholar
Tuesday, June 25, 2019
Q&A with Host Partner Dr. Jason Hecht, Cornell University
Nature article features IIE-SRF Fellow from Yemen
IIE-SRF Chairman named Chair of Rutgers Board of Governors
IIE-SRF Selection Committee approves 14 new scholars from 9 countries
Tuesday, May 21, 2019
Alumnus Alfred Brownell from Liberia wins 2019 Goldman Environmental Prize
The Globe and Mail on IIE-SRF Scholars and Hosts in Canada
IIE-SRF Partnerships for Scholar Advancement News
Monday, April 22, 2019
Studying Sogdiana from Tajikistan to Harvard
AACRAO report, “Scholar Perspectives” by Dr. Chelsea Blackburn Cohen and James R. King
Science Magazine: “AAAS connects human rights groups with science experts”
IIE-SRF On the Road: Germany
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
Dr. Fathiah Zakham of Yemen: “Supporting female scientists in Yemen
“Treasures of New York”: Institute of International Education”
IIE-SRF Selection Committee Awards Fellowships to 14 New Scholars
February 25, 2019
Scholars Breaking Boundaries: Dr. Rahim Surkhi of Iran
Syrian Alumnus Publishes Book on Art and Politics during the Arab Spring
IIE’s Allan Goodman on Legacy of Scholar Rescue
January 24, 2019
2018 Year in Review
December 20, 2018
Scholars Breaking Boundaries: Dr. Laura Margarita Febres of Venezuela
Alumnus Hilal S. Wahab Receives Scientific Excellence Medal from Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research
IIE-SRF Selection Committee Awards Fellowships to 16 New Scholars
November 14, 2018
International Education Week 2018
Fellowship Outcomes in 2018
FAO’s newest expert: Dr. Ahmad Sadiddin of Syria
Deutsches Haus honors IIE-SRF Chairman Emeritus Dr. Henry G. Jarecki
October 18, 2018
Dr. Amal Alachkar of Syria: 2018 IIE Global Changemaker
Alfred Brownell of Liberia: Inaugural Occupant of the IIE-SRF Beau Biden Chair
October 10, 2018
IIE-SRF receives State Department grant for Iraq Distance Learning Initiative
Dr. Amal Alachkar: 2018 IIE Global Changemaker
IIE-SRF On the Road: Switzerland, Canada, Belgium, and France
October 2, 2018
IIE and Finland’s EDUFI Expand Partnership to Support Academics, Artists, and University Students from Conflict Regions
September 12, 2018
Fall Semester Issue
IIE-SRF Selection Committee Awards Fellowships to 16 New Scholars from 9 Countries
August 15, 2018
From Yemen to Italy: Scholar Finds Safe Haven for Nuclear Physics Research
TWAS Publishes In Flight from War: The Journey of At-Risk Scientists, ft. article by IIE-SRF Assistant Director
RSVP: The New University in Exile Consortium – September 6th at The New School
University Alliance for Refugees and At-Risk Migrants (UARRM) Launches at Rutgers University
July 23, 2018
Alumnus Wins Honorable Mention for the 2018 Rothschild Prize in Nationalism and Ethnic Studies
Fellow Mustafa Bahran of Yemen on Universities’ Responsibility to Support Displaced Scholars, at AAAS Symposium
IIE-SRF On the Road: Trieste, Italy – TWAS Hosts “Science International” Working Group
June 14, 2018
Scholars Breaking Boundaries: Dr. Ismael Ibraheem of Syria
IIE-SRF Selection Committee Awards Fellowships to 12 Scholars
University Alliance for Refugees and At-Risk Migrants to Launch in July
Alumnus from Zimbabwe Receives Ph.D. from George Mason University
May 23, 2018
Iraqi Scholars in the Diaspora Deliver University Courses in Iraq through New IIE-SRF Initiative
May 17, 2018
‘Education under Attack 2018’ Report Launches at IIE
IIE Recognized by Portuguese Government for Work with Displaced Students and Scholars
IIE PEER Expands Higher Education Opportunities for Displaced Students Worldwide
Fellow Sreang Heng Writes from Harvard about Justice in Cambodia
April 26, 2018
Alumna Calls for International Community to Involve Syrian Faculty in Support Programming for Displaced Students
April 12, 2018
Physics Today spotlights four IIE-SRF scientists
Thank you to the first-time host institutions of Winter 2018
Selection Committee awards fellowships to new scholars from six countries
“Science in Exile” documentary premieres at IIE-SRF Forum
March 29, 2018
IIE-SRF Hosts Third Forum on Partnerships in Support of Threatened and Displaced Scholars
January 23, 2018
IIE-SRF: 2017 in Review
December 14, 2017
“After IIE-SRF”: Dr. Abdul Ghafoor Al Saidi of Iraq
Thank you to the first-time host institutions of Fall 2017
Selection Committee awards fellowships to new scholars from six countries
IIE-SRF scholars in the media
November 22, 2017
IIE President and CEO Allan Goodman writes on IIE delegation to Jordan
TWAS releases trailer for “Science in Exile”
IIE-SRF Director Sarah Willcox published in UNESCO Courier
IIE-SRF on the road from Chicago to the Dead Sea
November 10, 2017
IIE leads delegation to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, host of the second most IIE-SRF scholars since 2002
November 3, 2017
Save the Date: IIE-SRF Forum will be held on March 9, 2018
October 19, 2017
IIE-SRF Alumna from Syria Presented with 2017 IIE Global Changemaker Award
October 13, 2017
IIE-SRF Fellows from Syria and Yemen interviewed on French and Malaysian radio
Save the date: IIE-SRF Forum March 9, 2018
Alumnus from Bangladesh publishes new book on international law
Scholars at Risk releases annual report on academic freedom
October 9, 2017
“Science, Interrupted”: Discover Magazine Features IIE-SRF Scholars from Iraq, Syria, and Yemen
September 22, 2017
Harvard’s unwavering support for threatened scholars
IIE-SRF Selection Committee awards fellowships to 15 new scholars
Alumna from Syria to receive IIE Global Changemaker Award at annual gala
Molecular Psychiatry journal publishes work of alumna from Syria
September 14, 2017
50 IIE-SRF Fellows Begin the New Semester at Host Partners in 14 Countries
August 17, 2017
Scholars Breaking Boundaries: Dr. Housamedden Darwish of Syria
Cornell provides refuge for scholars under threat
IIE-SRF welcomes new host institutions for Summer 2017
Alumna from Syria to be honored at IIE Gala
July 14, 2017
Liberian scholar brings his legal expertise to Northeastern University
IIE-SRF alumnus presents at a neuroscience symposium in Spain
Allan Goodman, IIE President and CEO, receives award from IAUP
IIE-SRF scholar brings Syrian culture to Saskatoon, Canada