Dr. Aslı Vatansever discusses economic precarity and political repression in higher education for This Authoritarian Life podcast

Labor sociologist and BCB's Director of Development & Philanthropy Dr. Aslı Vatansever was featured as a guest on This Authoritarian Life, a leading international podcast exploring the lived experiences and resistance to authoritarian politics. In the episode titled “Unsafe Positions: How Precarity and Repression Silence the University (Frontlines) #4” (Season 2, Episode 4), released on January 28, 2026, Vatansever discussed the intertwined dynamics of economic precarity and political repression in higher education and how these forces silence critical academic voices.

Hosted by anthropologists Kristóf Szombati and Erdem Evren, the conversation reflects on Vatansever’s personal and professional journey, including her dismissal from her academic position in Istanbul after signing the Academics for Peace petition and her subsequent experience in exile in Berlin. Together they examine how precarious employment conditions enable self-censorship, complicate scholars’ safety and freedom, and create barriers to academic dissent and collaborative research. The episode also looks at how “scholars at risk” frameworks can stigmatize rather than protect and considers pathways for solidarity and resistance within and beyond the university.

Listen to the full episode on major podcast platforms (YouTube, Apple Podcasts) or via This Authoritarian Life’s website.

Post Date: 02-11-2026