The University of Bath welcomed Professor Dame Nicola Dandridge, Chair of the Council for At-Risk Academics (Cara), to campus on Tuesday 18 November for a day focused on strengthening support for scholars facing persecution.

Professor Dandridge’s visit provided an opportunity to showcase Bath’s growing involvement with Cara and to highlight the work taking place across departments to provide safe, supportive research environments for academics whose careers and lives have been disrupted.

Founded in 1933, Cara is a UK-based charity that offers lifelines to academics at risk by arranging Fellowship placements in UK universities, alongside in-country support programmes in regions experiencing conflict.

Bath is currently hosting three Cara Fellows, from Afghanistan, Sudan and Palestine, with academic leadership provided by Professor Timo Kivimäki (PoLIS).

During a lunchtime roundtable chaired by Professor Cassie Wilson, Professor Dandridge met current Bath Cara Fellows, Shagofar Noor, Safa Suliman and Yousef Daraghama, along with Professors Kivimäki and Peter Lambert (PoLIS).

The visit also looked to deepen the University’s connections with Cara through work with the International Centre for Higher Education Management (ICHEM), a research centre in the School of Management.

As part of this, Professor Dandridge delivered a seminar for current DBA HEM students and other ICHEM members from across the University. Led by Dr Annie Snelson-Powell and Professor Dan Davies, the talk — 'The Council for At-Risk Academics: From 1933 to Now' — traced Cara's long history and highlighted its ongoing relevance in supporting scholars in crisis.

Nicola was joined on the visit by Tim Riches, representing the national Cara team.

Speaking after, Professor Dandrige said: "It was great to meet with the three Cara Fellows being hosted by the University and the excellent team who are supporting them. Cara's mission has always relied on the strong support of the academic community, and the University of Bath has been a very active partner and are impressive in their commitment to supporting academics at risk. The ICHEM seminar was also a tremendous opportunity to talk about Cara's work with a wider audience and hear their perspectives."

Professor Kivimäki added: “During our session focused on Cara in Bath, we highlighted the value of the University’s cooperation with Cara and its ‘double humanitarian benefits’. The Cara Fellowship not only helps rescue academic careers — and in some cases lives — it also enables Fellows to continue their work for the benefit of their home countries. Nicola’s visit was an excellent opportunity to engage with Cara at a national level, and we are keen to strengthen these links to support and profile the important work we are developing at Bath with our Cara Fellows.”

Dr Snelson-Powell said: “It was a really valuable opportunity for ICHEM at the University of Bath to host this discussion, to showcase Cara's vital work, and to underline the contribution that research on higher education management can make in this area.

"Nicola and Tim from Cara highlighted how academics in some regions are vulnerable simply for working in a university and the pressing need for protection. They raised important questions about the role of higher education institutions globally in safeguarding academic capability and providing a safe haven or support to colleagues in conflict zones or facing persecution.”

Alongside her Cara leadership, Professor Dandridge is widely recognised as a distinguished figure in higher education. She previously served as Chief Executive of the Office for Students (2017–2022), overseeing the creation of England’s higher education regulator and leading work on student outcomes and institutional accountability.

Prior to that, she was Chief Executive of Universities UK (2009–2017) and Chief Executive of the Equality Challenge Unit (2006–2009), playing a key role in advancing equality and diversity across the sector. She is currently Professor of Practice in Higher Education Policy at the University of Bristol, specialising in governance, regulation and student choice.

Earlier in the day, she met members of the University’s Executive Board having been invited to campus by Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Phil Taylor.