StAR – Students at Risk is an Erasmus+ project co-funded by the European Union. It aims at promoting awareness and engagement among the university community regarding academic freedom and at supporting advocacy activities for students and scholars who are at risk due to their human rights activism. The project examines limitations and violations of student rights in countries characterized by authoritarian regimes or conflict situations, and generally maintains a critical eye on European, US, and Global North contexts.

Through capacity-building and research activities, as well as collaboration between universities and student organizations, the project aims to provide students with the tools to defend and strengthen academic freedom and the right to education in contexts where these are threatened or significantly restricted.

The University of Trento is part of the StAR Consortium, coordinated by the European Student Union (ESU), together with the University of Padua, the Global Student Forum (GSF), and SAIH (the Norwegian International Student and Staff Assistance Fund). The consortium promotes training, dissemination, and advocacy activities in European and broader international contexts.

The University of Trento, together with the University of Padua, will focus in particular on organizing seminars, webinars, workshops, and a Winter School (2027), as well as on developing an online teaching module. Project materials will be made available to the university community and the wider public.

Project duration: December 2025 – February 2028.