On 2 December 2024 at 6 pm, the Turkish researcher Eylem Camuroglu Cig will speak at the University of Bayreuth in the live podcast ‘Fragile Freedom’ about her experiences as a researcher in exile and the importance of academic freedom. The event will be held in English, is free of charge and is aimed at interested members of the public, pupils, students and researchers.
In 2016, Eylem Camuroglu Cig signed the ‘Peace Petition’ against violence in south-east Turkey. President Erdoğan condemned the signatories as ‘terrorists’, whereupon Eylem Camuroglu Cig lost her job at the university. After the attempted coup in the summer of 2016, the political pressure intensified further. To escape persecution, Eylem Camuroglu Cig fled to Germany at the beginning of 2017. She came to the University of Bayreuth as a fellow of the Philipp Schwartz Initiative, where she has been teaching and researching ever since.. The Philipp Schwartz Initiative is a programme of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation that supports academics at risk and offers them a safe research environment at German universities.
The Turkish government revoked her passport and numerous basic rights, and it is currently impossible for her to return. Nevertheless, Eylem Camuroglu Cig remains committed to academic freedom and critical thinking.
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:
- Dezember 2, 2024, 18:00 Uhr (ca. 60-90 min.)
- Universität Bayreuth, Iwalewahaus, Foyer, Wölfelstraße 2, 99444 Bayreuth
- in English, free admission
