Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Academic Rescue Mission

Well, here's a position that I think everyone can agree upon in regards to the current fustercluck in Iraq: according to Inside Higher Ed, "The Institute of International Education’s Scholar Rescue Fund is finalizing plans to rescue hundreds of Iraqi professors beginning in the coming months."

"IIE — which has a history of rescuing scholars that can be traced back to the Russian Revolution — is aiming to award two-year fellowships to 200 senior scholars, most of whom are professors, to teach and conduct research at institutions in Jordan and other countries in the Middle East and North Africa."

The scholars, many of whom currently have death threats against them (fanatics seemingly hate no one as much as they hate scholars), would be able to connect with their students in Iraq via videolink, while working with their students in the host countries. Now somebody should figure out how to get the students out of there as well. (Actually, I don't really understand why there isn't more support for bringing Iraqi refugees to the states, based upon the timeless principle: "You broke it, you bought it." I don't hear many people calling for that, which is weird since it's nearly impossible for them to be admitted to the US. Hell, let's start housing refugees in Crawford, Texas!)

Anyway, if you'd like to contribute to this rescue effort, give to the IIE Scholar Rescue Fund On-line through:
http://www.networkforgood.org
Under designation, please specify IIE Scholar Rescue Fund.

Gifts by check: Please make checks out to Institute of International Education/Scholar Rescue Fund:
Scholar Rescue Fund Institute of International Education Office of the Treasurer 809 United Nations PlazaNew York, NY 10017-3850

Gifts by credit card, stock, matching gifts, and planned gifts: For other ways to give to the IIE Scholar Rescue Fund, please contact:
Margot Steinberg, Chief Development Officer at (212) 984-5409 or development@iie.org

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