Programmes for scholars at risk

Since its foundation, Ruhr-Universität has been committed to helping scholars at risk from all over the world.

RUB not only offers a wide range of individual training and support opportunities for at-risk scholars and researchers, but is also committed to the reconstruction of university sectors in former crisis and conflict countries such as Afghanistan.

Thanks to the comprehensive and intensive support of various RUB faculties, scholars and researchers, as well as those from the Philipp Schwartz Initiative and the Scholar Rescue Fund, RUB has in recent years been able to host several scholars from various countries and academic disciplines - such as Medicine, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Economics, Geography and Sports Sciences.

In addition, RUB is intensively committed to the promotion of academic freedom worldwide. It has therefore supported the international Scholars at Risk Network since 2016 and is a founding member of the German chapter of the Scholars at Risk Network, of which it was a member of its steering committee until the end of 2018.

At the beginning of 2016, RUB created a central, cross-university structure in its International Office in order to bundle the wide range of services offered to scholars at risk and their academic hosts, as well as to promote RUB's comprehensive commitment to academic freedom.