From Stabilisers to Enablers?

Published September 2026

By May Thida Aung and Alexander Kalgin

Exile has become an increasingly common reality for activists as authoritarianism expands globally. Whilst this can undermine activism through isolation, precarity, and loss of horizontal connections with activist networks, exile may also create opportunities for “vertical voice”, transnational networks, and reimagined forms of political engagement. Within this landscape, universities have the potential to emerge as important actors. Traditionally associated with supporting at risk scholars, universities can support activists in exile both explicitly and implicitly.

There is little research on the potential and limitations of universities as sites of protection for exiled activists. This working paper seeks to address this knowledge gap through a comparative study based on a review of academic literature, policy documents, NGO reports, cases in the media, and relevant legislation. More specifically, the paper explores the role of universities in sustaining activist agency by situating them within broader debates on protection infrastructures, and by focusing on three countries: Germany, the Czech Republic, and Thailand, which host a significant number of Russian and Myanmar exiles.