US: Haiti trip provokes academic lack of restrictions argument

An unauthorized trip by two students to Haiti in the aftermath of the recent earthquake an academic freedom row in the US led, reported Times Higher Education. Jon Blucher and Roman Annulling, students in the documentary Institute at the College of Journalism and Communications, University of Florida, returned to Haiti after a university ban documentary completed their thesis on aid workers. They paid for the trip themselves and worked without any input from the university.

When the students returned to Florida, they were told their final thesis presentation could not include any post-earthquake footage because they broke university rules.

The American Association of University Professors (PAUPER) expressed concern over the undermining of academic freedom, Times Higher Education reported. In particular, the PAUPER complained the ban imposed by central administration of the university, rather than by the academic supervisors.

Times Higher Education

Iran: Imprisoned scholar faces serious health issues

  Demanding, an Iranian scholar and journalist currently in Even Prison in Tehran, is allegedly facing serious health issues. Scholars at Risk reports that Bari hospitalized on March 20 after losing consciousness as a result of a respiratory condition exacerbated by his detention. CHAR has an action alert calling on the authorities to ensure his well-being while in custody issued.

Russia: Court discards application by imprisoned scientist

A court in the Russian city of Arkhangelsk has called for the release of Igor Stygian academic, he has a 15-year sentence for spying rejected. Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty reports that Stygian, a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Institute Canada, was sentenced in 2004 allegedly passing classified information about Russia's nuclear weapons a London-based firm.

The academic denied the charges and in 2007 the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe demanded his immediate release. Amnesty International also called a prisoner of conscience Stygian. According to REF / R, the court has the last call for his release on the grounds that he broke prison rules rejected.

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (REF / R)

Iran: Student detained and denied access to lawyers

Maid Awakening, a student at Amur Jarib University, continues to be denied access to his lawyers and visits from his family, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said. Three months ago, Awakening was sentenced to eight years and six months imprisonment and a five-year ban on travel abroad. He was transferred to Even prison on 20 April 2010 after 125 days in solitary confinement.

Awakening, known for his commitment to human rights, was arrested with violence on December 7 after a speech to students at his university to commemorate Day Student Council. As he tried to leave the campus, he was beaten by security agents and taken into custody.

He had previously arrested twice in prison, once in 2008 during the production of student publications and again in February 2009 during his participation in a memorial service for Midi Bargain, a prominent Iranian scholar.

ISRAEL: Academic deprived of right of entry to West Bank

Israeli immigration officials prevented American scholar Noam Chomsky from entering the West Bank last week. Professor Chomsky, known for his work on linguistics and philosophy, is going to give a lecture at Bizet University, BBC News reports. Chomsky said he was denied entry because the Israeli government has long objected to his controversial writings and speeches.

His Palestinian host for the visit, Mustang Barghouti generally, sharply criticized officials, claiming their decision was a blatant restriction of the freedom of expression.

The Interior Ministry is apparently trying to contact the military to clear up things and allow his safe passage. Chomsky often spoken out against the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.

BBC News

Iran: French academic leaves Iran after 10 months

A French academic who battled spying charges in Iran for more than 10 months returned to France on 16 May. Coiled Weiss is accused of collecting information and provoking rioters during the widely disputed June presidential elections in Iran.

She was released on bail after a month and a half in Iran's dreaded Even prison, but only on condition that she stayed at the French Embassy in Tehran until her trial was over.

The case of Coiled Weiss aroused widespread controversy in France and put additional pressure on the already strained relations between the two countries. According to the Associated Press, officials speculation that Weiss's return home was part of an exchange deal with two Iranians held in France, one of whom is allowed to house a little more than a week ago denied.

Russia: Nuclear scientist on the loose in "spy swap"

Dr. Igor Stygian (photo), a Russian nuclear scientist and former head of department at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow, was released from prison on 9 July.

According to reports from the BBC, Stygian was delivered to Britain as one of a number of individuals convicted of spying in Russia exchanged with 10-11 individuals by the US alleged Russian spies.

Stygian was arrested by the Russian Federal Security Service in October 1999 charged with espionage and sentenced to 15 years in a strict-regime penal colony, in a case that advocates human rights apparently politically motivated and part of a widespread clampdown on freedom to be of expression in Russia.

Stygian was accused of passing classified information to a London-based research firm for whom he was conducting freelance analysis of civil-military relations in Russia.

Stygian has always maintained that he was just a public sources of information and as a civilian researcher has no access to classified sources.

His case has been identified as that of a political prisoner by both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, which also claimed Sustains trial did not meet international standards.

Israel Academics fight for the freedom to dissent

More than 500 Israeli academics, including two former ministers education, a protest against the new laws petition, backed by the government of Benjamin Chaitanya, Israeli academics who openly support an academic boycott of signed Israeli institutions criminalize, the Guardian reported on 11 July.

Iran: Campaign to free imprisoned student photographer

More than 70 Iranian graduates have started a campaign for the release of their friend and colleague, photographer Hammed Saber student, Radio Free Europe-Radio Liberty, reported launched last month. Saber was arrested on June 21 and there was no communication about his whereabouts not.

It is thought his arrest was in response to pictures that he took of protests after the disputed presidential election last year. She posted on the websites photo-sharing Flicker and Picasso under his own name, was allegedly published in foreign media, including the cover of the German magazine Deer Spiel.

Saber was a prolific photographer, and also design software users enabled the filters that countries such as Iran, the United Arab Emirates, China and others on Flicker placed bypass.

He also posted online photos of the moment in prison Oxford student Mohamed Jalapeno, as well as a few hundred of the Iranian protesters.

In a statement on WWW.freeholder.blog spot.com, a group of his university classmates and professors say that Saber chose not to emigrate despite the opportunity, because he wanted to work on Iran's freedom.

Iran: Detention of student amalgamation leaders

Two members of the Central Council of Adverb e Talkie Vanda, a representative body of Islamic student associations in Iran, was arrested by Iranian security forces, Adverb News reported on 22 August.

Hassan Aside Zebadiah was arrested at his home by security forces and Ali Jamal was arrested at work. No information on the reason for their arrests.

Both individuals had previously faced prosecution for their involvement in student politics.

  Zebadiah detained in September 2009 and released on bail after 40 days in captivity. Jamaal regularly summoned to security agencies and had received threats in recent weeks.

Students in an Islamic Society, the main pro-democracy student groups in Iran universities.

Three members of Adverb e Talkie Vanda is currently in prison: Ahmad Zebadiah, secretary; Abdul Moment, speaker; and Ali Malachi, head of public relations.

Iran: Student leader moved to hunger strike

An Iranian student leader, described as "one of the most prominent symbols of struggling student movement Iran's" was moved from Even prison Maharajahs without his family or lawyer told Radio Free Europe reported on August 18.

UK: Demanding ruling mantras of higher education

There is a special kind of British humor that is very good at finding the absurd in everyday life. It draws our attention to much of what we take for granted only by the tone or raising an eyebrow. One of these may be enough to effectively place afraid quotes around a cliche be; or draw our attention to something critical, and we laugh at the absurdity of a sudden that once seemed authoritative.

Professor Robin Briggs of All Souls College, Oxford University, is a master of this very British combination of comedy and criticism.

In South Africa, the TB Davie Academic Freedom Lecture at the University of Cape Town, it was with shining eyes, he intoned the ruling mantras past usually for sanity in the global higher education policy.

He began his lecture by repeating the words of the former British Minister of Education David Blanket: ". Higher education generates the research, knowledge and skills to support innovation and change in the economy and the wider community"

This statement suggested Briggs was "blameless enough" unless - and here he paused with the timing necessary to all comedy - "unless you're allergic to truisms is".