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Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fining Kathleen Stock's university does not protect free speech
The University of Sussex has been fined £585,000 by the higher-education regulator, the Office for Students, for its handling of the resignation of Professor Kathleen Stock. The OfS claims that the university was in breach of 'our free speech and academic freedom requirements' and also found fault with 'the university's management and governance practices'. Specifically, the OfS criticised the university's Trans and Non-Binary Equality Policy Statement, which it said had created a 'chilling effect' for staff and students who felt unable to voice gender-critical opinions. Some are heralding this news as a free-speech victory: a public recognition of the disgraceful treatment of Stock by the university is indeed welcome, as even now many fail to see why the whole debacle was so damning for free speech on campus and personally distressing for her. This kind of external intervention by a regulator is needed, some argue, and they welcome the new powers the OfS might enjoy following the implementation of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act. I am not cheering, though, despite being a free-speech absolutist. Sussex was my alma mater, and believe me, the problem with censorious behaviour long predates the Stock affair. The trans issue was just starting to crop up on campus in my second year; friends of mine were being ostracised from the leftie pools we all swam in for being perplexed with the demand that 'trans women were women'. By the end of my time there, Judith Butler may as well have been handing out the handshakes at our graduation ceremony. Among both staff and students there were political biases that were hard to challenge for fear of being stigmatised. The OfS claim that censorship was a top-down imposition by policies is at best generous, at worst inaccurate – the problem with free speech on campus runs much deeper. It's for this reason that fines and legal wrangling is not the solution for those of us who care about fighting censorship. Free speech has long been in crisis on campus. You could crack that nut with fines and legislation, court rulings and government finger-wagging. But state supervision of universities is not going to solve the campus censorship crisis, nor is it something true freedom lovers should be comfortable with. Take the response from Sussex University's vice-chancellor Professor Sasha Roseneil, who has managed to turn the ruling into a fight about minority rights. 'We will strongly contest these findings and have grave concerns about the implications of its decisions for students and staff, especially those from minoritised groups', she wrote in an article for Politics Home. The university's response to the ruling was to argue that it will now be all but 'impossible for universities to prevent abuse, harassment or bullying on campuses'. Such histrionic blindness to the issue at hand shows how deep the rot goes when it comes to campus censorship. Things are changing – and not thanks to ministers or regulators. Instead, what has opened up a chink of light for discussion about free speech on campus is individuals sticking their neck on the line. The trans issue has been the most influential in both escalating and challenging a culture of conformity on campus. Ever since women like Stock, or Jo Phoenix, went public, it has shone a spotlight on the inadequacy of our universities when it comes to defending free expression. Free speech can't be imposed; it has to be the foundation of a university from which everything else follows. We need to win the battle of ideas on campus – that means more students involved in fighting for free speech by holding public discussions and standing up for their peers to disagree with them on contentious issues. It means staff rediscovering their mettle and refusing to be bullied by administrative bodies waving policy documents. And finally, change will also have to come from outside the campus walls, where the censorious cry of 'you can't say that' just doesn't wash anymore. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Universities must put academic freedom above commercial interests, says free speech tsar
Universities must put academic freedom above their commercial interests, the free speech tsar has said. In an interview with The Telegraph, Professor Arif Ahmed said vice-chancellors must 'show backbone' by upholding their commitment to free speech even when it jeopardises lucrative contracts. He suggested that many universities are 'not doing their due diligence' before entering into research partnerships with foreign states, warning that these arrangements are making them vulnerable to free speech clampdowns. 'Universities need to understand that their reputational interests are less important than academic freedom,' Prof Ahmed said. 'If a foreign country tries to threaten a university into suppressing the speech of one of its academics, it's the job of the vice-chancellor to show backbone in that case.' His comments come after repeated warnings that China has threatened to remove funding or investment from universities if they do not clamp down on academics critical of Beijing. It is his first interview on the subject since the Government shelved new free speech protections for universities last summer, before U-turning earlier this year. Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, said last July she would pause and consider repealing the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act entirely, just days before it was due to come into force. Ms Phillipson said the flagship Conservative legislation was 'not fit for purpose', with senior Labour sources branding it a 'Tory hate speech charter' that would create a platform for Holocaust denial on campus. However, the Education Secretary announced in January that she would revive the Act in a watered-down version, with several key elements removed. It came a week before the Government was set to face a High Court challenge over the decision to shelve the laws. In a wide-ranging interview with The Telegraph, the free speech tsar declined to comment on either the Government's rowback or the High Court case, in which he was listed as an 'interested party'. Prof Ahmed said it was 'not for me to get into sort of political discussions', but that he would not hesitate 'to speak my mind on particular issues as they come to us'. The Telegraph understands that the new free speech regulations are set to come into force before the next academic year in September, although the Department for Education is yet to officially confirm this. Prof Ahmed will oversee a new complaints scheme as part of the Act, allowing him to sanction universities if they are found to have stifled free speech for academics or visiting speakers. Changes announced by Ms Phillipson mean there will no longer be a compensation scheme for victims of cancel culture, known as the 'statutory tort'. Ministers are also yet to decide whether to reinstate part of the legislation that would require the Office for Students (OfS), the universities regulator, to 'monitor overseas funding' for universities. This would have required the OfS to scrutinise whether any funding received by universities from overseas sources presented a risk to free speech and academic freedom. China hawks said the move would have helped stamp out attempts to suppress criticism of Beijing on UK campuses through expensive partnerships and donations. Prof Ahmed told The Telegraph that the new free speech regulations would still grant him powers to 'look carefully and closely and rigorously at whatever arrangements universities have… where these have the potential to give rise to concerns about academic freedom and freedom of speech, whatever country it is.' Asked whether he was particularly concerned about China, the free speech tsar said there were fears that some countries may be using academic partnerships as 'instruments for spying on or for intimidating or for harassing people in this country'. 'Suppose you have an academic who expresses concerns about the human rights record of Country X, for instance. And then the ambassador of Country X talks to the vice-chancellor and says, 'well, you know that grant we were going to give you, we might not give it to you now','he said. 'Then the vice-chancellor of the university has a word with the academic and says, 'you better tone it down a bit', in a vaguely threatening way. That's contrary to everything university is for.' It comes after The Telegraph revealed last year that Michelle Shipworth, an associate professor at University College London (UCL), was forced to drop an entire module on her energy and social sciences course after Chinese students complained about some of its content. Her head of department at UCL told her he was taking action because 'in order to be commercially viable', the university's courses 'need to retain a good reputation amongst future Chinese applicants'. Prof Ahmed, the director of freedom of speech and academic freedom at the OfS, warned that Britain is sliding down the Academic Freedom Index, currently ranking 66th on the global free speech chart. '[The UK's position] has dropped radically over the past few years, and is behind pretty much every other European country,' he told The Telegraph. 'We think that's an indicator of the significance of the scale of this issue… It's a vitally serious issue, and it remains fundamental to democracy.' He suggested universities should consider allowing students to discuss certain topics under Chatham House rules, which prohibit participants from revealing the source of particular comments made during discussions. 'We think that there could be some quite positive things that we can do in that area… Should there be deep listening? Should there be students being encouraged to write essays defending the other side? Should there be Chatham House rules?' The free speech tsar also insisted that his new complaints scheme would 'not allow anti-Semitism, anti-Semitic harassment, anti-Semitic abuse or other illegal activity' to take place on campus. 'The Act absolutely does not hold freedom of speech for speech that's outside of the law,' he said. 'I'm definitely keen to move forward with bringing things into force… There are obviously social benefits and economic benefits to freedom of speech and academic freedom. 'More broadly, I would say it's the most important thing for Western civilisation, for our country, that freedom of speech continues to survive. It's the greatest thing we've had since the 17th century, and it's really important that we preserve it.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Universities must put academic freedom above commercial interests, says free speech tsar
Universities must put academic freedom above their commercial interests, the free speech tsar has said. In an interview with The Telegraph, Professor Arif Ahmed said vice-chancellors must 'show backbone' by upholding their commitment to free speech even when it jeopardises lucrative contracts. He suggested that many universities are 'not doing their due diligence' before entering into research partnerships with foreign states, warning that these arrangements are making them vulnerable to free speech clampdowns. 'Universities need to understand that their reputational interests are less important than academic freedom,' Prof Ahmed said. 'If a foreign country tries to threaten a university into suppressing the speech of one of its academics, it's the job of the vice-chancellor to show backbone in that case.' His comments come after repeated warnings that China has threatened to remove funding or investment from universities if they do not clamp down on academics critical of Beijing. It is his first interview on the subject since the Government shelved new free speech protections for universities last summer, before back-tracking earlier this year. Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, said last July that she would pause and consider repealing the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act entirely, just days before it was due to come into force. Ms Phillipson said the flagship Conservative legislation was 'not fit for purpose', with senior Labour sources branding it a 'Tory hate speech charter' that would create a platform for Holocaust denial on campus. However, the Education Secretary announced in January that she would revive the Act in a watered-down version, with several key elements removed. It came a week before the Government was set to face a High Court challenge over the decision to shelve the laws. In a wide-ranging interview with The Telegraph, the free speech tsar declined to comment on either the Government's rowback or the High Court case, in which he was listed as an 'interested party'. Prof Ahmed said it was 'not for me to get into sort of political discussions', but that he would not hesitate 'to speak my mind on particular issues as they come to us'. The Telegraph understands that the new free speech regulations are set to come into force before the next academic year in September, although the Department for Education is yet to officially confirm this. Prof Ahmed will oversee a new complaints scheme as part of the Act, allowing him to sanction universities if they are found to have stifled free speech for academics or visiting speakers. No compensation for cancel culture victims Changes announced by Ms Phillipson mean there will no longer be a compensation scheme for victims of cancel culture, known as the 'statutory tort'. Ministers are also yet to decide whether to reinstate part of the legislation that would require the Office for Students (OfS), the universities regulator, to 'monitor overseas funding' for universities. This would have required the OfS to scrutinise whether any funding received by universities from overseas sources presented a risk to free speech and academic freedom. China hawks said the move would have helped stamp out attempts to suppress criticism of Beijing on UK campuses through expensive partnerships and donations. Prof Ahmed told The Telegraph that the new free speech regulations would still grant him powers to 'look carefully and closely and rigorously at whatever arrangements universities have… where these have the potential to give rise to concerns about academic freedom and freedom of speech, whatever country it is.' Asked whether he was particularly concerned about China, the free speech tsar said there were fears that some countries may be using academic partnerships as 'instruments for spying on or for intimidating or for harassing people in this country'. 'Suppose you have an academic who expresses concerns about the human rights record of Country X, for instance. And then the ambassador of Country X talks to the vice-chancellor and says, 'well, you know that grant we were going to give you, we might not give it to you now','he said. 'Then the vice-chancellor of the university has a word with the academic and says, 'you better tone it down a bit', in a vaguely threatening way. That's contrary to everything university is for.' It comes after The Telegraph revealed last year that Michelle Shipworth, an associate professor at University College London (UCL), was forced to drop an entire module on her energy and social sciences course after Chinese students complained about some of its content. Her head of department at UCL told her he was taking action because 'in order to be commercially viable', the university's courses 'need to retain a good reputation amongst future Chinese applicants'. Falling behind Europe Prof Ahmed, the director of freedom of speech and academic freedom at the OfS, warned that Britain is sliding down the Academic Freedom Index, currently ranking 66th on the global free speech chart. '[The UK's position] has dropped radically over the past few years, and is behind pretty much every other European country,' he told The Telegraph. 'We think that's an indicator of the significance of the scale of this issue… It's a vitally serious issue, and it remains fundamental to democracy.' He suggested universities should consider allowing students to discuss certain topics under Chatham House rules, which prohibit participants from revealing the source of particular comments made during discussions. 'We think that there could be some quite positive things that we can do in that area… Should there be deep listening? Should there be students being encouraged to write essays defending the other side? Should there be Chatham House rules?' The free speech tsar also insisted that his new complaints scheme would 'not allow anti-Semitism, anti-Semitic harassment, anti-Semitic abuse or other illegal activity' to take place on campus. 'The Act absolutely does not hold freedom of speech for speech that's outside of the law,' he said. 'I'm definitely keen to move forward with bringing things into force… There are obviously social benefits and economic benefits to freedom of speech and academic freedom. 'More broadly, I would say it's the most important thing for Western civilisation, for our country, that freedom of speech continues to survive. It's the greatest thing we've had since the 17th century, and it's really important that we preserve it.'
The Independent
19-02-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Lord Hague warns of ‘comfort blankets of cancellation' in defence of free speech
Lord William Hague vowed to champion free speech and warned against 'comfort blankets of cancellation' as he was officially admitted as the 160th Chancellor of the University of Oxford. During his formal admission ceremony, the former Conservative leader said freedom of speech and of academic work and research 'will be of paramount importance' in an age where ideas change rapidly. Lord Hague told hundreds of attendees at the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford that encouraging 'free thought and speech without hatred' was a possible test for institutions. The demands of this age of change will require funds, and larger endowments. I will do everything I can to support the efforts to raise them Lord William Hague, Chancellor of Oxford University The Chancellor welcomed the Labour Government's decision to revive a number of provisions of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act. In his speech, he said: 'We cannot prepare for the turbulent decades to come by shielding ourselves from inconvenient arguments, wrapping ourselves in comfort blankets of cancellation, or suppressing minority views because they conflict with the beguiling certainty of a majority.' Lord Hague added: 'Our university is a place where we can disagree vigorously while sheltering each other from the abuse and hatred that are so often a substitute for rational opinion.' But the Chancellor warned that debating global issues should 'never be an excuse for antisemitism or any other kind of religious or ethnic hatred'. He added: 'I am pleased to say we don't need a foreign policy because we are not a country. 'Nor do we need a view on every daily occurrence because we are not a newspaper. 'The concern of a university is that opinions are reached on the basis of truth, reason and knowledge, which in turn requires thinking and speaking with freedom.' Lord Hague, who will serve for a term of 10 years, was making his first speech as the university's chancellor on Wednesday. Alumni and academics turned out in regalia for the admission ceremony – where many sections of the event were spoken in Latin. Lord Hague received the university's statutes, keys and seal as part of the traditional ceremony. The former Tory leader left the theatre to a fanfare of trumpets in procession with senior university figures. Lord Hague won the election for the role in November, beating Sarah Everard Inquiry chief Lady Elish Angiolini and Labour peer Lord Peter Mandelson. The election was called after Lord Chris Patten announced his retirement after more than 20 years in the position in February last year. During his wide-ranging speech, Lord Hague said the university would also be in the 'front line of fighting the darker side of the new technological age' which he said contributes to anxiety and loneliness among young people. He said: 'In Oxford we have the great strengths of personal tuition, college communities and high achievements in sports and music. 'It should always be a place where we seek each other's company, not stare into smartphones.' Lord Hague also said he would try to increase investment for the university. He said: 'The demands of this age of change will require funds, and larger endowments. 'I will do everything I can to support the efforts to raise them. 'I am looking forward to meeting thousands of our alumni at home and abroad, and to encouraging even more of them to give their time, service and resources to the university that helped release their talents.' Oxford staff and alumni voted online for the first time to elect the chancellor – a post which has been in place at the institution for at least 800 years. The chancellor is the titular head of the university and presides over key ceremonies. They also undertake advocacy, advisory and fundraising work, acting as an ambassador for the university at a range of events, and they chair the committee for the selection of the vice-chancellor. Professor Irene Tracey, vice-chancellor of the University of Oxford, said: 'I am delighted and honoured to welcome Lord Hague back to Oxford as our new Chancellor. 'His deep connection to the university and his commitment to its values, mission and vision will serve this world-class institution well during his tenure. 'He is a man of considerable integrity, wisdom and dedication. I look forward to working closely with him in the years ahead as we uphold and strengthen Oxford's legacy of excellence.' In the final round of voting, Lord Hague received 12,609 votes, 1,603 more than second-placed candidate Lady Angiolini, chairwoman of the inquiry into Sarah Everard's killer Wayne Couzens. Lady Angiolini, outgoing principal of St Hugh's College Oxford, and Baroness Jan Royall, outgoing principal of Somerville College Oxford, had both hoped to become Oxford's first female chancellor. Labour grandee Lord Mandelson and former Conservative attorney general Dominic Grieve were also among the final five candidates. Lord Hague graduated from Magdalen College Oxford in 1982, where he studied philosophy, politics and economics (PPE) and was president of the Oxford Union. He was leader of the Conservative Party between 1997 and 2001 and Foreign Secretary between 2010 and 2014.
Telegraph
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Universities must not be ‘comfort blankets of cancellation', says Lord Hague
Universities must not be 'comfort blankets of cancellation', Lord Hague insisted in his inaugural speech as the new chancellor of Oxford University. The former Conservative Party leader promised to make Oxford the 'home of free speech' and to lead the university into a new era as he takes over from Lord Patten, who stepped down from the role last year. In a speech at the Sheldonian Theatre on Wednesday, Lord Hague said protecting freedom of speech would be 'of paramount importance… in an age in which ideas will change so rapidly'. 'We cannot prepare for the turbulent decades to come by shielding ourselves from inconvenient arguments, wrapping ourselves in comfort blankets of cancellation, or suppressing minority views because they conflict with the beguiling certainty of a majority,' he said. 'Oxford is a home of free speech within the law… Our university is a place where we can disagree vigorously while sheltering each other from the abuse and hatred that are so often a substitute for rational opinion.' Tensions around debates at universities including Oxford have heightened in recent months. Last week, protesters staged a walkout at a discussion at Oxford University by Helen Joyce, a gender-critical author, while 600 people signed a petition 'protesting transphobia' at the institution. Lord Hague praised the Government for reinstating Tory free speech laws for universities designed to protect academics from so-called cancel culture. Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, announced last month she would revive the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act, despite Labour sources previously describing it as a 'Tory hate speech charter'. It means universities will soon face punishments if they fail to uphold free speech and academic freedom for academics under a new complaints scheme as part of the Act. But Lord Hague appeared to suggest Oxford would not be drawn into political matters such as ongoing conflicts or the US administration under his stewardship. 'We do not need to agree on everything, indeed we should not. I am pleased to say we do not need a foreign policy: we are not a country,' he said. 'AI the greatest ever challenge' The chancellor also warned about the threat to universities posed by artificial intelligence, which he said would likely come to define his 10-year tenure. 'The arrival of artificial intelligence along with engineering biology and the accompanying pace of technological change is the greatest ever challenge for the modern state,' he said in his speech. 'It will also be the greatest ever challenge for the modern university.' The Oxford alumnus, who studied philosophy, politics and economics at Magdalen College, becomes the university's 160th chancellor in the role's 800-year history. Though a largely ceremonial position, Lord Hague will face a difficult inheritance becoming chancellor of a world-leading institution at a time when the university sector is facing serious financial pressures. The Tory peer was elected as Oxford chancellor in November after beating rival candidates including Lord Mandelson, the former Labour advisor who has since been appointed by Sir Keir Starmer as the UK ambassador to the US. Lord Hague also defeated three other final-round candidates, including Lady Angiolini, the Scottish lawyer who led the Sarah Everard inquiry, Dominic Grieve, an ex-Tory minister, and Baroness Royall, the current principal of Somerville College, Oxford. The chancellor paid tribute to his predecessor, Lord Patten, who was among the audience at Oxford's Sheldonian Theatre on Wednesday. Lord Patten, who was the last governor of Hong Kong, announced his retirement in early 2024, making him the first Oxford chancellor not to die in post since the second Duke of Ormonde in 1715. Usually a role for life, statute changes confirmed last year mean that Lord Hague will serve a reduced term of a decade in the position, which is part time and unpaid. Tackling anxiety and loneliness a priority The chancellor said his term would also see Oxford serve on 'the front line of fighting the darker side of the new technological age' as he promised to tackle a surge in 'anxiety and loneliness, especially among young people'. 'This new age will only turn out well if it allows us more scope to enjoy being human, rather than form our relationships with machines,' he said. 'In Oxford we have the great strengths of personal tuition, college communities and high achievements in sports and music. It should always be a place where we seek each other's company, not stare into smartphones.' The chancellor is the titular head of Oxford University and presides over several key ceremonies. In addition to formal duties, they also undertake advocacy, advisory and fundraising work and chair the committee for the selection of vice-chancellor. Lord Hague graduated from the university in 1982 and has insisted that the institution transformed his life, having arrived from a comprehensive school in South Yorkshire and going on to become president of the Oxford Union. Born in Rotherham in 1961, he worked for consulting firm McKinsey & Co after leaving Oxford, before being elected as the MP for Richmond, Yorkshire, at the age of 27. He served various ministerial roles in his 26 years as an MP and became leader of the Conservative Party in 1997, a role he held for five years.
