On 2 November 2024, the live podcast ‘Fragile Freedom’ with Afghan legal scholar Dr Suhailah Akbari will take place at Humboldt-Universität Berlin as part of Berlin Science Week.

The Taliban in Afghanistan are denying girls and women access to education and science. After the Taliban took power in August 2021, the security situation for female researchers deteriorated dramatically. Dr. Suhailah Akbari, a legal scholar, was also directly threatened and had to leave the country with her two daughters. After days of uncertainty and fear at Kabul airport, she managed to escape to Germany with the help of the German military, where she found refuge.

Today, with the support of the Philipp Schwartz Initiative, she conducts research at Humboldt University in Berlin on the legal framework for climate change policy and the trade of clean energy. In addition to her academic work, Akbari advocates for academic freedom and the rights of Afghan women and scientists. She is the co-founder and managing director of the Institute for Law and Society in Afghanistan (ILSAF).

In the live podcast „Fragile Freedom,“ Akbari speaks at Humboldt University during the Berlin Science Week about her experiences of losing freedom, her escape from Afghanistan, and the importance of academic freedom.

In the event series “Fragile Freedom”, researchers in exile share their experiences of the loss of freedom that led them to leave their home country. Their experiences emphasize the need to actively stand up for the preservation of democratic values. The public talks at various universities in Germany are aimed at pupils, students and the interested public and offer an opportunity for exchange between the researchers and the audience. Admission is free of charge. The event will be held in English.

Event details:

– November 2, 2024, 4:00 pm (duration approx. 60-90 min.)
– Senatssaal der Humboldtuniversität zu Berlin, main building, 1st floor
Unter den Linden 6, 10117 Berlin