Scholars in exile in the Netherlands When humanitarian support encounters neoliberal reform practices

In this article, Lizzy Anjel-van Dijk and Maggi W.H. Leung discuss the Dutch academic system and charts the support programs in place in the Netherlands and how they enable highly qualified, forcibly displaced, and at-risk scholars to continue their academic careers and research activities. Academics in many parts of the world are facing increasingly uncertain and insecure conditions. They are threatened for their ideas, research, and social position because of the critical questions they ask. The protection of these people, many of whom are in exile, and of academic freedom in general, is of paramount importance. The right of every human being to think, ask questions, and exchange ideas is the basis for science and a free and thriving society. Hosting at-risk and exiled scholars is not only a sign of solidarity; their presence also enriches academia. This chapter discusses the Dutch academic system and charts the support programs in place in the Netherlands. We show how these programs enable highly qualified, forcibly displaced, and at-risk scholars to continue their academic careers and research activities. We do so by recounting some of their personal experiences. In response to violations of academic freedom and to increase the diversity in Dutch academia, a number of initiatives have been established by various institutions in the Netherlands to provide support. In this chapter, we argue that these initiatives should be understood within the context of the broader, transforming academia in the Netherlands, rather than as isolated solidarity or even charity efforts. Specifically, we thematize the intensive neo- liberalization of the Dutch and global academic system, which has led to a fiercely competitive environment and immense pressure to publish and compete for research grants. This trend puts pressure on all scholars in the Dutch academic field. It is, however, important to ask how it affects at-risk scholars who are already placed in disadvantaged positions in the Netherlands. In the following, we map out the support landscape relevant to scholars at risk. While presenting the opportunities - for both the scholars and the host academia/society - we also discuss the challenges. In doing so, we rely on qualitative methods of data collection and analysis. We use data from existing reports and studies on the recent transformation of Dutch higher education and from nine in-depth semi-structured interviews that we conducted. We spoke to five at-risk and displaced scholars, as well as two people from supporting institutions (non-governmental organizations [NGOs]) and two from different universities in the Netherlands. In all nine interviews, particular attention was paid to the privacy and anonymity of the respondents and to digital security.