Scholars at Risk (SAR)

The Scholars at Risk (SAR)  is a global network of higher education institutions founded in 1999 at the University of Chicago. Today it includes hundreds of universities across 40+ countries.  Its headquarters are based at New York University, and it operates internationally through regional sections, including SAR Italy.  

The SAR Network aims i)protecting scholars at risk, by enabling academics facing threats to continue their work safely through temporary positions or fellowships at partner universitiesand ii) promoting academic freedom worldwide, advocating for the right to research, teach, and express ideas freely without political or ideological constraints. 

In the current global context, where increasing pressures, conflicts, and political interference are affecting universities and restricting academic freedom, there is a growing need for collective action and solidarity within the academic community. The SAR network plays a key role in responding to these challenges by enabling institutions to work together to support scholars under threat, monitor violations of academic freedom, and foster dialogue and awareness. Strengthening engagement in SAR reflects a shared commitment to protecting higher education as a fundamental space for free inquiry and to upholding academic freedom as a core human right essential to open and resilient societies. 

• Since 2020, the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna has been a member of the Scholars at Risk network, following a formal proposal by Rector Nuti and Professor Strazzari, approved by the Academic Senate in September 2020.
• From 2021 onwards, the School has hosted scholars fleeing crisis contexts: a first researcher welcomed at DIRPOLIS Institute (Institute of Law, Politics and Development) in 2021, two Afghan students and one Afghan researcher following the fall of Kabul (August 2021), and a Ukrainian researcher in the aftermath of the Russian invasion (2022).
• From 2026, the SAR focal points for the School are Luigi Achilli (DIRPOLIS) and Leonardo Caproni (Institute of Plant Sciences), reflecting the renewed commitment to academic freedom made by the Rector Vitiello. 

List of members of SAR Italia as of July 2026 

As of June 2026, the Italian section of the Scholars at Risk network (SAR Italy) includes over thirty member institutions across the country, all considered higher education and research bodies. Those comprise universities such as Bologna, Padua, Milan, Pisa, Florence, Turin, Trento, Pavia, Siena, Verona, Genoa, Cagliari, Udine, Macerata, Brescia, L’Aquila, Urbino, Salento, Parma, Bergamo, Eastern Piedmont, Sapienza University of Rome and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. The network also includes institutions such as the Politecnico di Torino, the University for Foreigners of Siena and the International Telematic University UNINETTUNO, alongside advanced schools and research institutions including the Scuola Normale Superiore, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Scuola Superiore di Catania, Scuola IMT Alti Studi Lucca, SISSA (Trieste), the European University Institute, the Magna Charta Observatory and the National Research Council (CNR) 

Currently, the representatives of the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna are Prof. Luigi Achilli (Institute of Law, Politics and Development) and Dr. Leonardo Caproni (Institute of Plant Sciences). SAR activities are overseen by the Vice-Rector for Internationalisation Policies, Prof. Francesca Capone, and supported by the International Relations Office (IRO).