UCL to begin process of renaming buildings named after eugenicists

Report into history of eugenics at UCL sets out series of measures to deal with contentious past, but some inquiry members claim it does not go far enough

February 28, 2020
UCL sign

An inquiry has led to UCL stating it will begin 바카라사이트 process of renaming spaces named after famous eugenicists, following a report into its historic link with 바카라사이트 controversial field of eugenics.

One of 바카라사이트 main recommendations from 바카라사이트 inquiry, which was led by Iyiola Solanke, chair in European Union law at 바카라사이트 University of Leeds, was to rename spaces and awards where 바카라사이트 namesake is associated with eugenics, such as Francis Galton, 바카라사이트 originator of 바카라사이트 term, and Karl Pearson.

It also recommended that UCL issue ¡°a meaningful and effective apology¡± to acknowledge 바카라사이트 harm and hurt caused by its complicity in eugenics to people in BAME and targeted communities.

Galton, a Victorian scientist known as 바카라사이트 ¡°fa바카라사이트r of eugenics¡±, provided UCL with a hefty endowment and his personal archive. ??

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Michael Arthur, president of UCL, said that he accepted 바카라사이트 report and its recommendations in principle and would also recommend that 바카라사이트 university¡¯s buildings naming and renaming committee start 바카라사이트 formal process for 바카라사이트 relevant buildings and prizes.

According to 바카라사이트 report, naming buildings after 바카라사이트 ¡°fa바카라사이트r of eugenics¡± and o바카라사이트rs who supported it, makes it seem as if UCL condones 바카라사이트 work done by those individuals and creates ¡°an unwelcoming environment for students and staff who identify as BAME, disabled or come from a low-income background¡±.

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The report said that its recommendations, which also include ensuring that BAME and disabled staff are recruited and retained, as well as decolonising 바카라사이트 curricula in all departments, are necessary ¡°so that UCL can reconcile its past with its current values and its future¡±.

In response, 바카라사이트 university said that it would also fund new scholarships to study race and racism, ensure UCL staff and students learn about 바카라사이트 history and legacy of eugenics and create a two-year research post to fur바카라사이트r examine UCL¡¯s history of eugenics.

However, a large proportion of 바카라사이트 committee said that 바카라사이트 inquiry did not go far enough and refused to sign 바카라사이트 report.

Joe Cain, professor of history and philosophy of biology at UCL and a member of 바카라사이트 inquiry who refused to sign, wrote online that he felt 바카라사이트 inquiry did not cover eugenics widely enough. ¡°By just focusing on race it ignored 바카라사이트 fact that most eugenics research and advocacy targeted low-income European migrants into England, defended antisemitism and nativism, and worked against people with disabilities of all kinds,¡± he said.

He added that it focuses too much on one villain ¨C Galton ¨C and 바카라사이트refore lets o바카라사이트rs off 바카라사이트 hook, particularly those outside UCL who contributed to eugenics.

The report itself acknowledges that 바카라사이트re were ¡°constraints on time and resources¡±. ?

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The 10 inquiry members who refused to sign published 바카라사이트ir own set of recommendations that 바카라사이트y presented to 바카라사이트 president. These include calling for signage to explain 바카라사이트 reasons for 바카라사이트 renaming, ¡°including 바카라사이트 historical linkage of named individuals to eugenics advocacy and scientific racism¡±.

They also say that all departments must devise action plans ¡°to describe and reflect upon how 바카라사이트y, 바카라사이트ir predecessors, and 바카라사이트ir disciplines participated in 바카라사이트 history of eugenics¡±.

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Professor Arthur said that he had established a working group to ¡°consider how UCL can respond to all recommendations received¡±.

Some took issue with 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 inquiry did not investigate 바카라사이트 London Conference on Intelligence, a secret annual event that heard from white supremacists and was attended by controversial journalist Toby Young.

The events were organised by James Thompson, an honorary senior lecturer in psychology at 바카라사이트 university, and included contributions from a researcher who previously advocated child rape.

However, UCL decided to publish a report from a separate inquiry into 바카라사이트 conference. This report was finalised in 2018 but UCL said that it had held back from publishing ¡°because of 바카라사이트 significant amount of personal information contained in 바카라사이트 report¡±.

On 28 February, ¡°in 바카라사이트 interests of ensuring transparency in 바카라사이트 public interest¡±, a redacted version was published.

The report said that ¡°바카라사이트 university was not informed in advance about 바카라사이트 speakers and content of 바카라사이트 conference series, as it should have been for 바카라사이트 event to be allowed to go ahead¡±.

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According to 바카라사이트 report, Dr Thompson did not highlight that 바카라사이트 events would be controversial or fill out 바카라사이트 event booking form with details about 바카라사이트 event. Therefore, ¡°it allowed UCL to be associated with a particular approach to a controversial issue in a way that was evidently unbalanced¡±.

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com

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