University budgets for the humanities just about everywhere are declining or the first to be cut. So when a donor—let alone two—want to contribute to rescuing scholars in the arts, I take notice. So thank you to two Institute trustees, Robert L. Dilenschneider and Mark A. Angelson, who have created the new Janet Hennessey Dilenschneider Scholar Rescue Award in the Arts in the IIE-Scholar Rescue Fund to save the lives and work of scholars in the arts.
Why is this needed? Please read my blog post that just appeared in the Huffington Post:
“The United States is a world leader in providing a safe haven to political activists fleeing oppressive dictatorships. But what if your only crime is that you are an artist whose work is viewed as critical of your government? What happens if, as a professor of art or literature, you use creative expression to give voice to an oppressed people? How do you preserve your country’s rich cultural heritage when you become the target of death threats…?”
Read full post: “Protecting Scholars of Art From Persecution”