Bard College Berlin News
Dr. Aslı Vatansever Speaks on Panel “Common Struggles, Unequal Terms: Towards Fair Working Conditions for All Scholars”
Vatansever questioned the concept of ‘safe haven’ and emphasized why scholars-at-risk remain especially vulnerable even after arriving in “safe” academic environments. She argued that short-term fellowships, conditional visas, and contracts tied to professorial discretion create chains of dependence that silence and marginalize exiled scholars. Vatansever drew a sharp contrast between charity that is by definition temporary and performative and solidarity which entails structural responsibility, long-term security, and equal rights. She called for dismantling the feudal structure of German academia, where a handful of professors control careers, and urged institutions to replace precarious aid models with accountable, durable structures that guarantee genuine academic freedom.
Marshall reflected on recent pressures in the US and questioned whether Europe’s eagerness to host US scholars is rooted in solidarity or whether it reproduces unequal terms in global academia. Kompio spoke from the trade union perspective, stressing the importance of collective action and criticizing Germany’s Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz (fixed-term academic employment law) for fostering systemic insecurity.
The discussion underscored a shared conclusion: precarity is not an exception but a systemic feature of higher education. Real change will require both structural reforms geared towards fairer contract laws, stronger protections, and dismantling hierarchical dependencies and a shift from symbolic support toward genuine equality and solidarity.
Watch the full panel discussion on Youtube.
Post Date: 10-14-2025