The University of York offers a safe haven for scholars and human rights defenders from around the world through its 15-year commitment to providing international scholars with a safe place to learn and the confidence to bring their newfound skills to bear on the world stage. Its Sanctuary Fund, which celebrates its second anniversary in March 2025, provides persecuted academics, human rights defenders, and asylum-seeking students with a community and academic freedom. The Centre for Applied Human Rights, a unique initiative that has been awarding protective fellowships to human rights defenders since 2008, is at the forefront of this initiative. Through the Fund, scholars are not only given a chance to learn but also the hope for a new perspective and new horizons and a support system in a community that understands their struggles. The Fund is a lifeline for many, as it had been for Somali journalist and human rights activist Abdalle Mumin, who had received a research fellowship at York and had used his time to build a database of human rights violations involving journalists. The Sanctuary Fund contributes to building the future policymakers, human rights lawyers, medics, and changemakers of the world
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