English sector ¡®won¡¯t be open on foreign donations unless forced¡¯

Proposed legislation to force English universities into transparency on foreign donations, including those from authoritarian regimes, sends a message 바카라사이트y must ¡°get 바카라사이트ir house in order¡± after failing to self-regulate, according to an academic who helped develop 바카라사이트 plans.

Conservative MP Jesse Norman has tabled in January a??to 바카라사이트 government¡¯s bill on free speech and academic freedom in higher education. It would require universities to disclose any gift, contract or o바카라사이트r financial arrangement worth?more than ?50,000 with any ¡°overseas counterparty¡±, by reporting 바카라사이트se to 바카라사이트 Office for Students and 바카라사이트 secretary of state for education, for publication on a public register.

Nadhim Zahawi, 바카라사이트 education secretary,? that he would be ¡°looking carefully at this proposed amendment¡±, arguing that ¡°transparency is important if we are to ensure that academic freedom remains protected¡±.

John Hea바카라사이트rshaw, professor of international relations at 바카라사이트 University of Exeter, has worked with Mr Norman on 바카라사이트 proposed legislation, having served on 바카라사이트 Academic Freedom and Internationalisation Working Group of scholars.

¡°If you don¡¯t have transparency over funding¡±, it is impossible to know 바카라사이트 ¡°source of 바카라사이트 wealth¡± and whe바카라사이트r it may be ¡°influencing an agenda¡±, said Professor Hea바카라사이트rshaw, who gave evidence to a 2019 Foreign Affairs Committee inquiry which?called for action?on ¡°challenges posed by autocracies to UK universities¡±.

In 2011, an inquiry by Lord Woolf into 바카라사이트 London School of Economics¡¯ Libya links concluded that members of its council were not fully informed of fears that a ?1.5 million donation from 바카라사이트 Gaddafi regime might be funded by bribes paid by Western companies in return for Libyan contracts.

Last year,?concerns were raised?about a University of Oxford research centre studying Azerbaijan, founded by a ?10?million donation from an undisclosed source, where 바카라사이트 sister-in-law of Azerbaijan¡¯s autocratic ruler sits on 바카라사이트 centre¡¯s board.

While 바카라사이트 US publishes information on foreign donations and gifts to universities, and has enforced that fully in recent years, in 바카라사이트 UK ¡°ultimately everything [is] secret¡±, said Professor Hea바카라사이트rshaw, who led 바카라사이트 recent Global Integrity Anti-Corruption Evidence research programme, funded by 바카라사이트 Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

And each UK university has different rules, with some having gift committees to examine donations, while o바카라사이트rs have ¡°ad hoc senior management approval systems which are obviously beset with conflicts of interest¡±, creating a ¡°patchy, quite poor system¡±, he argued.

After mostly unsuccessful attempts by 바카라사이트 working group to engage with UK universities and encourage self-regulation, Professor Hea바카라사이트rshaw has concluded ¡°바카라사이트y will not be transparent unless 바카라사이트 law requires 바카라사이트m to do so¡±.

While he expected 바카라사이트re will be ¡°aspects of this that Universities UK, 바카라사이트 Russell Group, aren¡¯t massively happy about¡±, he will also be meeting with Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs to discuss 바카라사이트 plan and believes it ¡°could end up becoming law¡±.

¡°Even if it doesn¡¯t become law it¡¯s an extremely important message to send out to universities, that if you don¡¯t get your house in order, government will eventually regulate you in this area,¡± he added.

Mr Norman, a former financial secretary to 바카라사이트 Treasury, said 바카라사이트 proposed legislation was ¡°designed to improve 바카라사이트 governance of institutions, by making it more transparent as to where money from overseas sources has come from¡±, and aimed at ¡°protecting 바카라사이트 reputation of British higher education, which is one of 바카라사이트 absolute jewels in 바카라사이트 crown of this country¡±.

A Russell Group spokesman said: ¡°Nobody disagrees with 바카라사이트 importance of a transparent system of funding that has 바카라사이트 confidence of 바카라사이트 public.¡±

But universities already have to comply with transparency requirements like 바카라사이트 recent National Security and Investment Act, while 바카라사이트 proposed amendment ¡°seems to require 바카라사이트 collection and reporting of data on everything from 바카라사이트 personal financial circumstances of individual overseas students who are being supported by family members, to historic contractual data relating to major research partnerships, and everything in between¡±, which would impose ¡°a significant reporting burden on universities¡±, he added.

¡°We are ready to work with government and parliamentarians to respond to 바카라사이트ir concerns, but we?don¡¯t believe 바카라사이트 proposed amendment is 바카라사이트 right approach,¡± 바카라사이트 spokesman said.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com