On November 18, 2024, at 6:00 PM, Iranian theater scholar Azadeh Ganjeh will speak at the Universität Hildesheim in the live podcast „Fragile Freedom“ about her experiences as a scholar in exile and the importance of academic freedom.

For years in Tehran, Azadeh Ganjeh advocated as a professor for greater academic freedom and the rights of her students—despite increasing political pressure. Her critical stance and support for her students’ political engagement cost her her income and led to further threats and significant restrictions on her work. In 2022, she left her home country to continue standing up for her values and to conduct her research freely, moving to Germany. Today, she works at the University of Hildesheim in the Department of Cultural Studies and continues her passionate advocacy for academic freedom and freedom of expression.

In the “Fragile Freedom” series, scholars in exile share their stories of lost freedom that ultimately led them to leave their homeland. Their experiences underscore the need to actively defend democratic values. These public talks, held at various universities across Germany, are aimed at high school students, university students, and the interested public, and they provide an opportunity for dialogue between scholars and the audience. Admission is free, and the event will be held in English.

School groups are requested to register by sending a brief email to fragile-freiheit@con-gressa.de.

Event details:

• November 18, 2024, 6:00 PM (approx. 60-90 minutes)
• Universität Hildesheim, Building SP, Universitätsplatz 1, Room SP.0.08 Admission free, event held in English