From Resistance to Survival: The Roots of Protecting Academia at Risk

In our first episode of the Protecting Academia at Risk podcast, we introduce the project's origins and the personal journeys that brought our interdisciplinary team together. Lead researcher Andrea Pető shares her story of growing up during the anti-communist resistance and her academic career at CEU, highlighting the attack on gender studies and the broader threats to academic freedom. We discuss the global phenomenon of illiberalism, the importance of organizing against these challenges, and how displaced scholars are transforming academic institutions. This episode sets the stage for our exploration of academic resilience and the fight for intellectual freedom in the face of adversity.