Harvard Researcher Seeks Refuge at the University of Mannheim
Dr. Eirliani Abdul Rahman is a researcher from Singapore who gained global recognition when she resigned from Twitter’s Trust and Safety Council in 2022 in protest against the sharp rise in hate speech following the platform’s acquisition by Elon Musk. At the time, she was at Harvard University, completing a doctoral program in Public Health. In view of the new US administration taking office in January 2025 and increasing threats to academic freedom, the social scientist—with the support of the University of Mannheim—successfully applied for funding from the Baden-Württemberg Stiftung in July 2025 to relocate to Germany. Since early March, she has been able to continue her research here.
Abdul Rahman has been granted a three-year stay with the option of renewal for another three years at the Mannheim Centre for European Social Research (MZES). Until the end of 2027, she will be developing a prototype for an AI-based tool to combat child trafficking in India as part of her new research project. Previously, she worked with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kailash Satyarthi in India for more than a decade to combat child trafficking and child sexual abuse.
“I have only been in Mannheim for a few days, but I already feel completely different. Not having to constantly be vigilant and worry whether a new executive order affects me and restricts my freedom is simply reassuring,” says the Singaporean and former diplomat.
She is conducting her research project together with Professor Marc Ratkovic, Ph.D., holder of the Chair of Social Data Science. Ratkovic, who himself transferred from Princeton University to Mannheim in 2023, nominated her for the foundation’s program for international academic freedom, thereby facilitating her transfer.