Activities of Wajid KHAN related to 2018/2117(INI)
Plenary speeches (2)
Defence of academic freedom in the EU's external action (debate)
Defence of academic freedom in the EU's external action (debate)
Reports (1)
REPORT on a European Parliament recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on Defence of academic freedom in the EU’s external action PDF (374 KB) DOC (55 KB)
Amendments (13)
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas this definition must be grounded in core democratic and higher education values, including equitable access and anti-discrimination principles, accountability, institutional autonomy and social responsibility;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas every year hundreds of attacks on universmembers of higher education communities are reported around the world, including killings, violence, and disappearances, wrongful imprisonment/detention, wrongful prosecution, loss of position and travel restrictionswrongful dismissal/loss of position/expulsion from study, restrictions on travel or movement, and other extreme or systemic threats; whereas these types of threat are frequent and widespread;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the attempts to control or silence higher education institutions or their scholars, students and staff extend well beyond the individuals and institutions directly targeted and affect society at large by shrinking the space for the inclusive democratic participation and empowerment of all citizens and depriving future generations of high-quality academics and researchers;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas it is important to identify attacks on academic freedom as part of global phenomena, and to encourage the recognition of academics and students being targeted not only as individuals whose rights are being violated, but also as human rights defenders who are being attacked; whereas a robust response is needed at the international and national levels, from within higher education itself as well as civil society and the public at large;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas funding limitations restrict the actions of organisations and universities in the EU that already support students and scholars who are at risk or flee their countries as a result of the threat of persecution for their academic engagement; whereas these organisations and universities require more assistance for their actions and initiatives;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c
Paragraph 1 – point c
(c) demonstrate support for the institutions, academicsstaff and students that are at risk or have been the victims of coercion or violent attacks, and publicly condemn such attacks, by raising the issue at all levels, including through statements, visits, invitations to public appearances and trial and prison monitoring and specific references to individual cases of members of higher education communities at risk;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
(d a) encourage all states to endorse and implement the Safe Schools Declaration and its accompanying Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict, as most EU Member States have already done, which is a guidance on the responsibility to protect core values, especially academic freedom and institutional autonomy, in the context of violent and coercive attacks on higher education;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point e a (new)
(e a) engage and encourage regular dialogue with university communities as well as organisations whose mission is to protect higher education communities and promote academic freedom, in order to develop the best policy frameworks, initiatives and advocacy strategies for academic freedom;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g
Paragraph 1 – point g
(g) foster work on research and advocacy aimed at reforming legislation and regulations imposing undue restrictions on academic freedom or the academic autonomy of higher education institutions, and to promote institutional autonomy as one of the best ways of protecting systems of higher education from state interference or attacks and preserving higher education against politicisation and ideological manipulation;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h
Paragraph 1 – point h
(h) step up diplomatic efforts with partner countries through bilateral and multilateral engagement in relation to incidents of concern involving threats or attacks on academic freedom, particularly violent attacks on institutions and members of the higher education community, also including discriminatory policies or practices, undue restrictions on research or expression, wrongful prosecution or detention; encourage partner countries to set a framework for academic freedom and institutional autonomy and to monitor the implementation of these fundamental rights; ensure that any international cooperation agreements with partner countries respect these principles;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i
Paragraph 1 – point i
(i) revisit existing support and protection mechanisms for human rights defenders in order to develop the capacity to identify and assistprovide assistance, including emergency protection and support, in cases involving attacks on academic freedom, including through physical protection, legal and visa support, medical support, trial and prison monitoring, advocacy and lobbying, and long-term support during exile;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point j
Paragraph 1 – point j
(j) review existing programmes and resources for academic mobility and other forms of education and research cooperation, including their criteria, application procedures, requirements, timeframes, and schedules, for the purpose of eliminating obstacles which might preclude otherwise qualified at-risk academics or students from being able to obtain access to programme opportunities, placements or other resources; promote the existing projects financed by the EU, such as the 'Academic Refuge', which strive to raise greater awareness of the importance of academic freedom in the higher education sector and the consequences for society at large when this freedom is repressed;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point k
Paragraph 1 – point k
(k) create new initiatives within existing programmes, such as Horizon 2020, Erasmus+ and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions of new EU- funded programmeactions to support the placement of at-risk academics and, researchers and full degree students with international protection status at European higher education and research institutions, potentially developed and funded in synergies with funding from non- education and research budgets and funds of the Union;