Syrian Academics and Researchers' Network (SARN) UK

With over a decade of conflict in Syria that saw millions leaving the country, Syrian academics and researchers in the UK have now become a sizeable minority of exiled scholars in the diaspora. Many are engaged in important multidisciplinary research on Syrian culture, history and the political situation that led to the ongoing conflict, as well as how the country can be rebuilt in a future post-war phase. Their stories, views and narratives are not always heard, however. Furthermore, there is currently no purpose-built platform in the UK that enables Syrian scholars and artists to come together and cross-fertilise each other's work or explore interdisciplinary collaborative projects on Syria.

The Syrian Academics and Researchers' Network brings together UK-based Syrian scholars under one umbrella to build rapport, enable interdisciplinary research collaboration in the arts and humanities and social sciences to enhance academic and public knowledge on Syrian culture, history and politics while exploring the role of art and performance in disseminating research in these areas beyond the academy.

The Network will enable its 18 confirmed members (UK-based Syrian scholars) to work together in interdisciplinary arts-and-humanities-focused research clusters and share their collaboration and experience with artists, writers, filmmakers, musicians and performers in association with the Syrian Arts & Culture Festival (SACF) and Juan DelGado from Qisetna who will document the Network participants' stories as Syrian scholars and artists collaborating in exile.

To enable wider participation and equal opportunities for Syrian scholars, the Network seeks to understand the specific issues facing Syrian scholars in exile and those in Syria and explore practical ways to offer support, including through the Council of At-Risk Academics (CARA).

The Network will thus put in place a framework for translating elements of the participants' interdisciplinary research into tangible projects while supporting scholars and students in Syria to ensure the sustainability of the Higher Education sector now and in a post-conflict phase.

In the UK, Syria has entered the British cultural consciousness more than ever before, with news stories, documentaries and art exhibitions. The Network will enhance wider participation of Syrian voices in these narratives by creating a solid platform for Syrian scholars and artists to collaborate, showcase their work and contribute to a better understanding of Syrian culture, history and politics through academic outputs and cultural projects for wider dissemination beyond the academy.

The Network will explore a number of questions: How do the areas of research of the Network members enhance knowledge on Syrian culture, history and politics? How does a Syrian researcher's work in the arts and humanities complement, enrich and contribute to a fellow Syrian researcher's work in the social sciences? What unique opportunities can such scholarly collaborations provide for helping to rebuild Syria in the future?

For instance, how does a literary critic's analysis of Syrian LGBTQ activism in a text/film cross-fertilise anthropological and legal approaches to LGBTQ rights in the country? What do historians and sociologists have to say about the topic and what will these scholars achieve when they work together in a research cluster and collaborate with Syrian artists depicting these struggles in their work? Ultimately, how will this original combined effort translate into introducing inclusive policies under Syrian law and help reform civil liberties in a post-conflict phase in Syria? In the meantime, what academic, public and artistic channels can this collaboration be publicised into in the UK? These questions illustrate the scope of collaborative work that the Network aims to facilitate between academic members, artists and other stakeholders.