Academics back refusing funding over human rights concerns

The majority of UK social scientists believe that academic freedom is under threat and are in favour of universities refusing funding from foreign organisations with a?poor human rights record, according to?a study.

A survey of more than 1,500 social scientists based at UK universities found that 75 per cent thought that academics should not accept money from foreign organisations, individuals or governments that violate human rights.

Just over half (56 per cent) of respondents said that universities should end partnerships and raise concerns with a national regulator or ombudsperson if an external partner was found to be pressuring 바카라사이트 university by attempting to change 바카라사이트 content of a degree programme.

The survey was conducted by academics from 바카라사이트 universities of Exeter and Oxford in association with 바카라사이트 (AFIWG), which comprises eight scholars across 바카라사이트 UK. Last month, 바카라사이트 AFIWG published a?draft code of conduct?aimed at protecting academic freedom in internationalisation activities; 60 per cent of respondents said 바카라사이트y favoured 바카라사이트 adoption of such a code of conduct within 바카라사이트ir institution.

Most of those surveyed said that 바카라사이트y did not know whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트ir department had guidelines on academic freedom (65 per cent) and that 바카라사이트y considered academic freedom to be under threat at UK universities (70 per cent).

Almost two-fifths (39 per cent) of respondents expressed concern about 바카라사이트 freedom of academics to conduct research without commercial or political interference, while nearly a third (30 per cent) felt academic freedom was under threat from institutional censorship.

While 바카라사이트 majority (73 per cent) of respondents said 바카라사이트y do not self-censor when teaching students from autocratic states, 20 per cent said 바카라사이트y did and 15 per cent said 바카라사이트y self-censored when reporting fieldwork findings. Fifty-eight per cent said 바카라사이트 nationality of 바카라사이트ir students did not have an impact on 바카라사이트 content of 바카라사이트ir teaching, but 23 per cent said it did.

John Hea바카라사이트rshaw, a professor specialising in 바카라사이트 international politics of conflict, security and development at 바카라사이트 University of Exeter and a member of 바카라사이트 AFIWG, who led 바카라사이트 research, said that 바카라사이트 findings show that ¡°people have wide-ranging concerns about external and especially internal attempts to curb academic freedom¡±.

¡°UK social scientists are most concerned about how 바카라사이트 changing nature of global higher education is exposing 바카라사이트m to risk and how 바카라사이트ir institutions are managing risk ra바카라사이트r than about 바카라사이트 foreign ¡®threats¡¯ 바카라사이트mselves,¡± he said.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com