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Join Stand Up For Science for a National Day of Action on Friday, March 7!
Since releasing the "Declaration to Defend Research Against U.S. Government Censorship" in mid-February, the #DefendResearch team has engaged with scholars and experts around the world who view the current attacks on academic freedom as existential threats and who believe that it is vital to educate the public about the repercussions of these acts of censorship.
Many of these thought leaders have expressed a willingness to join us for a series of webinar conversations to discuss these risks. We will update this page as these webinars are scheduled.
2026
April 8, 11am ET
Conditions of Censorship Complicity in Scholarly Publishing: A China case study
Join us for a conversation with Dr. George Cooper, who will present an overview of key findings from a 6-year research project on the conditions of censorship complicity in scholarly publishing. This discussion will including an analysis of how political coercion and economic dependence shaped publishers' responses to censorship demands in China, as well as the widespread tendencies to diffuse, deny and redistribute responsibility to resist censorship pressures more broadly. Cooper will show how effective resistance to censorship requires broader coalitions—encompassing research funders and librarians—and sector-wide frameworks to enable collective action.
Sara Rouhi, co-author of "Declaration to #DefendResearch Against U.S. Government Censorship," in conversation with:
Dr. George Cooper (he/him), Lecturer in Publishing Practice, University College London
Cooper is an information studies researcher, specialising in issues of institutional self-censorship, knowledge equity, and the political and economic constraints affecting the global scholarly record. He also has a professional background in scholarly publishing, having worked in the industry for 14 years, developing open research platforms and scholarly journals in partnership with research funders and academic societies.
March 5, 11am ET
Censorship, Disinformation, and the Fight for Academic Freedom
Join us for a conversation with the American Sunlight Project, whose mission is to "ensure that citizens have access to trustworthy sources to inform the choices they make in their daily lives." This webinar brings together leaders from the Declaration to Defend Research Against U.S. Government Censorship and The American Sunlight Project to examine how censorship is reshaping the academic, scientific, and civic landscape — and what can be done to resist it.
Sara Rouhi, co-author of "Declaration to #DefendResearch Against U.S. Government Censorship," in conversation with:
Nina Jankowicz, CEO of the American Sunlight Project.
Jankowicz is an internationally-recognized expert on disinformation and democratization, one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in AI, and the author of two books: How to Lose the Information War and How to Be A Woman Online.
February 12, 11am ET
America's Censored Campuses
Join us for a conversation with PEN America to discuss their important new report: America’s Censored Campuses: Expanding the Web of Control. The webinar will provide an overview of both DefendResearch.org and PEN America's work, focusing specifically on this new report and what it can tell us about the state of scientific research and education in the United States.
Sara Rouhi, co-author of “Declaration to #DefendResearch Against U.S. Government Censorship," in conversation with:
Jonathan Friedman, Ph.D.
Friedman is Sy Syms Managing Director of U.S. Free Expression Programs at PEN America, where he oversees advocacy to safeguard the unhampered transmission of literature, education, and information.
Dr. Amy Reid
Reid is Program Director for PEN America’s Freedom to Learn program. She collaborates with other PEN America staff and with colleagues from across the country to push back against government censorship in higher education.
Daniel Shank Cruz, Ph.D., (they/multitudes)
Cruz is Special Assistant for U.S. Free Expression Programs at PEN America, coordinating team efforts to fight educational censorship and providing support to a variety of projects.
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