BRISMES Committee on Academic Freedom
The BRISMES Committee on Academic Freedom was set up to monitor and defend academic freedom in the research, study and teaching of Middle East Studies in the UK and anywhere in the world, including in academic institutions in the Middle East and North Africa.
To learn more about how the committee works, please see the Terms of Reference.
The current Chair of the BRISMES Committee on Academic Freedom is Lewis Turner (Senior Lecturer in International Politics, Newcastle University).
Latest Statement/Letter
The British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES) Committee on Academic Freedom has written to authorities in Sweden, Belgium and Italy regarding Dr Ahmadreza Djalali, an Iranian-Swedish scientist arrested and imprisoned in Iran since 2016, who has just been confirmed alive. Dr Djalali is faculty member in the European Masters’ Program in Disaster Medicine convened by the Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. We respectfully ask them to contact the Iranian authorities to demand the immediate reversal of Dr Djalali’s death sentence, a full reconsideration of the charges against him, and his prompt release.
Previous Statements
Please find here the list of statements published by the Committee on Academic Freedom.
Previous Letters
Please find here the list of public letters published by the Committee on Academic Freedom.
Database of Expertise
The Database of Expertise in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies provides a publicly available list of MENA experts with their research and areas of expertise.
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