Academic freedom is in decline globally, and scholars around the world are facing threats to their lives, liberty, and research careers. According to the Academic Freedom Index (AFI), over half of the world’s population live in environments where academic freedom is either severely or completely restricted. The annual Free to Think report published by Scholars at Risk documents 391 attacks on scholars across 51 countries in 2024 alone. This is evidence of a worrying trend spanning Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, which includes armed conflict, violent crackdowns on dissents both on and off campus, as well as illiberal policies that limit the right to freedom of expression. These concerning trends affect the lives and careers of individual researchers and endanger academic freedom worldwide. When researchers are at risk, not only are individual lives and careers in jeopardy, but the quality and very future of research is also at stake.