University head criticises government’s free speech approach

The United Kingdom government has taken a “schizophrenic approach” to the principle of freedom of speech on university campuses, the leader of SOAS University of London has said, writes Chris Parr for Research Professional News.

Speaking on 23 April at a Westminster Higher Education Forum event on free speech, Adam Habib said: “I don’t believe governments or regulation bodies can protect free speech in universities – I don’t believe that’s the way it happens,” adding that the “schizophrenic approach of politicians on the subject” he had witnessed in recent weeks was problematic. “I’ve received, as a vice-chancellor, a number of letters from ministers who on the one hand say to me, ‘protect freedom of speech’, and on the other hand send me letters demanding I take action against stop oil protesters, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.”

Unlike some in university leadership positions, Habib told the conference that he did not “buy this narrative” that issues relating to free speech on campus had been overblown – instead insisting that there was a big issue, which university leaderships should take responsibility for tackling. “I think that the university vice-chancellors and higher education executives created a political vacuum by not intervening appropriately [in the past],” he said. “And that created the possibility for politicians to intervene as they have.”
Full report on the Research Professional News site