Global Emergency Response Initiatives
Please find below information about the University of Rochester’s initiatives and resources for global emergency response and crisis support.
GLOBAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE FUND
The University of Rochester has established the Global Emergency Response Fund (GERF), made possible by the University’s Board of Trustees chair, Rich Handler ’83, and his company, the Jefferies Group. Recently, the Jefferies Group raised $6 million for 45 charities to aid Afghan refugees, military heroes, and victims of the Haiti disaster, extending their generosity to the University. All new gifts made to this fund will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Jefferies Challenge, up to $150,000. Donate here
The University of Rochester is an institutional member of the Scholars at Risk Network (SAR), an international network of higher education institutions and individuals dedicated to protecting threatened scholars, preventing attacks on higher education, and promoting academic freedom and related values worldwide.
The New University in Exile Consortium
The University of Rochester is an institutional member of the New University in Exile Consortium. This global group includes colleges and universities from the U.S., Bangladesh, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, the Netherlands, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Each member institution commits to hosting at least one threatened scholar annually, forming a supportive scholar cohort.
IIE’s Scholar Rescue Fund and Artist Protection Fund
The University of Rochester is an institutional member of the Institute of International Education (IIE). The IIE’s Scholar Rescue Fund® (IIE-SRF) formalizes a century-long commitment to preserving the lives, voices, and ideas of scholars worldwide. Additionally, the Artist Protection Fund (APF), an IIE initiative sponsored by the Mellon and Ford Foundations, provides fellowship grants to threatened artists from any field. The APF places these artists at host institutions in safe countries where they can continue their work and plan for their futures.