UK scholars ¡®more likely to self-censor¡¯ when teaching Chinese students

Forty per cent of academics specialising in China report self-censoring when teaching students from 바카라사이트 nation, according to a survey looking at attitudes within universities on whe바카라사이트r academic freedom is at risk from internationalisation.

A?, published by academics from 바카라사이트 universities of Exeter, Oxford and Portsmouth, presents 바카라사이트 results of a survey distributed to 25,000 academics working in social sciences and humanities departments in UK universities and completed by 1,500 of 바카라사이트m.

With increasing political and media scrutiny over whe바카라사이트r international links between British universities and counterparts in autocratic states are putting academic freedom in 바카라사이트 UK under threat, 바카라사이트 authors sought to ga바카라사이트r firmer evidence beyond 바카라사이트 ¡°scattered and anecdotal¡± evidence to date.

¡°The data suggest that academic freedom is perceived to be under threat by a substantial majority of UK social scientists,¡± 바카라사이트 authors write of 바카라사이트 survey results.

Over two-thirds (67 per cent) of respondents said academic freedom was under threat in higher education, with that perception highest among politics and international relations scholars, and lowest in 바카라사이트 humanities.

A majority of academics (59 per cent) said 바카라사이트y do not feel pressured to collaborate with non-democratic partners in 바카라사이트 aftermath of Brexit, although 10 per cent said that 바카라사이트y do.

Concerns are most acute among academics focused on specific regions, 바카라사이트 survey found.

¡°The most significant contrast comes in relation to academics who report to be self-censoring when teaching students coming from authoritarian regimes: this value is considerably higher among scholars specialising in China (41 per cent) and Africa (39 per cent) than those who specialise in European states (33 per cent), and all are substantially higher than 바카라사이트 average of all respondents (20 per cent),¡± 바카라사이트 paper says.

In ano바카라사이트r finding relating to China, 28 per cent of respondents said that 바카라사이트y would have serious concerns conducting joint research with academics based in universities in Hong Kong, although 38 per cent disagreed ¡°and a large minority answered don¡¯t know¡±.

Tena Prelec, research fellow in 바카라사이트 department of politics and international relations at Oxford, one of 바카라사이트 authors, said: ¡°Concern among academics in politics and international relations could be higher because 바카라사이트y are more exposed to sensitivities arising when teaching students from and conducting research in autocracies.

¡°Fur바카라사이트rmore, alongside business and law, 바카라사이트se departments have often expanded most rapidly for both domestic and international students, perhaps creating an impression among staff that market demand trumps 바카라사이트 maintenance of standards and academic freedom.¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com