The Scholars at Risk (SAR) initiative and the Department of Law and Legal Studies at Carleton University are proud to be hosting Canada’s very first SAR student advocacy summit. ‘University Uncensored’ will be taking place at MacOdrum library on September 27th and 28th.

With academic freedom as its focal point, the summit will offer participants a unique space within which they are able to engage activists, leading human rights experts, world-class scholars, and senior civil servants. During the course of the summit, registrants will gain first-hand insights into the inner workings of advocacy platforms and human rights and its institutions.

In brief, the summit will commence on Friday, September 27th with an interactive lecture on academic freedom and human rights delivered by Amnesty Canada’s Secretary General, Mr. Alex Neve. The lecture will be followed by specific case discussions, run by alumni of Academia and Activism – a fourth year legal seminar. This will be followed by a panel discussion and dinner with advocacy practitioners working in a range of fields from religious freedom, protection of LGBT people and gender equality. On day two, students will be enrolled in practice-oriented workshops led by SAR Scholars, the (Department of Law and Legal Studies) Activist-in-Residence and other SAR experts. The day will conclude with an engaged, participatory, exercise.

Who Can Register and How

In terms of registration, the summit is open to students enrolled in Academia and Activism as well as 25 additional students from Carleton University and the University of Ottawa. Please note that although preference will be given to 4th year students involved in advocacy leadership, registration is not limited to any particular faculty or program. Therefore, students from all disciplines and backgrounds are encouraged to register.

Given the limited number of available spots, interested students are expected to submit a document, no longer than 300 words, stating the following:

1. What fuels their interest in academic freedom and human rights;

2. What they wish to gain from the experience;

3. What they bring to the conference.

Please note that only successful candidates will be contacted.

Dates and Deadlines

Interested students are asked to email their applications to university.uncensored@carleton.ca no later than Tuesday, September the 17th at midnight (i.e. by 11:59 pm). Please make sure to send in your applications with the following as your subject line: Application: FIRST NAME, LAST NAME. Note that the conference is free for participants and that attendance (both days) is mandatory.

Any applications submitted after September the 17th will not be considered. Successful candidates will be contacted by Friday, September the 20th.