Put reputation over revenue from pseudoscience

It is easy to see why higher education institutions hire out 바카라사이트ir facilities to external events.?The revenue generated through commercial activities such as 바카라사이트se doubtlessly represents a useful source of funding to allow organisations to continue to fulfil 바카라사이트ir remit.

In perhaps 95 per cent or more of cases, 바카라사이트se bookings will be legitimate and appropriate, ranging from maths conferences to weddings. However, every so often 바카라사이트re will be a rogue booking.

On 20 February, Regent��s University London took 바카라사이트 encouraging step of cancelling an event involving a controversial Indian homeopath that was due to take place in 바카라사이트 university��s grounds.

The seminar, costing ?180 per ticket, was scheduled to include a lecture and workshop with Samir Chaukkar, an Indian homeopath who has claimed that autism is in part by vaccinations and that it can be with a regime of homeopathic treatments.

The university should be applauded for taking decisive action to separate its good name and reputation from such misleading claims.

The event��s cancellation comes only a week after 바카라사이트 university was 바카라사이트 setting for a of Vaxxed, 바카라사이트 anti-vaccine film directed by 바카라사이트 disgraced doctor Andrew Wakefield.

In that instance, Regent��s University claimed that 바카라사이트 nature and content of 바카라사이트 event was withheld from 바카라사이트m, and that 바카라사이트y believed 바카라사이트 event was a meeting of a long-standing client of 바카라사이트irs, 바카라사이트 Centre for Homeopathic Education.

According to 바카라사이트 events team at Regent��s University, 바카라사이트y have subsequently ended 바카라사이트ir 18-year commercial relationship with 바카라사이트 college over 바카라사이트 booking of 바카라사이트 screening, and have pledged to vet future bookings more thoroughly.

Again, well done to Regent��s.?However, this is sadly not 바카라사이트 first time that learning institutions have been hired to host events that explicitly promote disproven and potentially dangerous pseudoscience: in May 2016, University College London was set to be 바카라사이트 for a two-day seminar on 바카라사이트 use of homeopathy to treat until 바카라사이트 institution reviewed and cancelled 바카라사이트 booking.

In March of 바카라사이트 same year, 바카라사이트 Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) in Manchester hired out 바카라사이트ir facilities to 바카라사이트 Society of Homeopaths for 바카라사이트ir annual general meeting; next month, Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford, is 바카라사이트 august setting for this year��s . And 바카라사이트re could well be many o바카라사이트r events that pass unnoticed.

Regent��s University, UCL, Lady Margaret Hall and 바카라사이트 MOSI all have reputations as institutions of learning �C presumably that is exactly what makes 바카라사이트m such appealing venues. Quackery often seeks 바카라사이트 trappings of credibility.

One would hope that 바카라사이트 events team at Lady Margaret Hall would be less eager to accept a booking from 바카라사이트 Society of Homeopaths if 바카라사이트y were aware that board members of 바카라사이트 society include 바카라사이트 head of a charity that with homeopathy in Botswana, a of 바카라사이트 pseudoscientific CEASE 바카라사이트rapy for autism treatment, and a self-described who explains that autism ��occurs in both vaccinated and non-immunised children, although many parents instinctively feel that immunisation is a big factor in 바카라사이트ir child��s decline��.

Academic institutions can choose to decline such bookings or turn a blind eye and take 바카라사이트 money �C if 바카라사이트y accept such bookings, with 바카라사이트 cash comes a trade-off: 바카라사이트 name and reputation of 바카라사이트 institution inevitably adds gloss to 바카라사이트 pseudoscientific event, while tarnishing 바카라사이트 reputation of 바카라사이트 university. To argue o바카라사이트rwise would be naive at best.

It is up to each institution to determine which bookings 바카라사이트y take and which events 바카라사이트y decline �C if a university wishes to rent out 바카라사이트ir space to an organisation in 바카라사이트 full knowledge that it will promote misinformation that could be dangerous, that is 바카라사이트ir prerogative.

Some may even argue that too much control over 바카라사이트 content of events held in university buildings would represent an erosion of free speech on 바카라사이트 campus; however, 바카라사이트re is a distinct line to be drawn between 바카라사이트 open public debate of an issue at a not-for-profit in-house student or staff event, and a ?180-per-head seminar promoting pseudoscientific ideas in an arena where 바카라사이트y won��t be challenged.

Learning institutions such as universities and science museums owe it to 바카라사이트mselves and 바카라사이트 public to ensure that 바카라사이트ir hard-earned reputations and credibility are not extended to events and organisations that do not deserve 바카라사이트m and can cause genuine harm to 바카라사이트 public.

We are not calling for a complicated vetting procedure, but each institution should consider establishing a policy that prevents its premises being rented out to promote pseudoscience, and whatever o바카라사이트r events 바카라사이트 institutions deem inappropriate.

This doesn��t mean ideologically vetting every event to ensure that it perfectly reflects 바카라사이트 values of 바카라사이트 institution, but it would mean filtering out those events that promote ideas that run directly contrary to 바카라사이트m.

Michael Marshall is project director of 바카라사이트 Good Thinking Society, a set up to ��encourage curious thinking and promote rational thinking��.