Because they promote critical thinking and free thought, create a space for peaceful dissent, and challenge prejudices, researchers, intellectuals and artists are the first people to be targeted in countries at war or in the grip of political, ethnic or religious persecution, and they are the best defense against fundamentalism and obscurantism of all kinds. When they are threatened, censored, dismissed, imprisoned, tortured or executed for their work or for expressing their opinions, artistic expression, academic freedom and progress are also in peril. PAUSE program protects and hosts scientists and artists who are prevented from pursuing their activities in their country of origin. It hosts them for sufficiently long periods to enable them to integrate, pursue their research and provide security for their families. - We co-fund institutions seeking to host a scientist or artist forced into exile through three calls for applications per year - We assist scientists and artists with identifying a host institution - We help beneficiaries access the services to which they are legally entitled - We support beneficiaries who have completed the program with finding long-term employment. This support can take the form of help with building up their networks, accessing training or even making a career move to another sector - We carry out advocacy work to uphold academic and artistic freedoms and protect scientists and artists in exile - We facilitate exchanges with similar programs abroad and with European and international stakeholders working to help at-risk scientists and artists