This week, tens of thousands of students will begin at university. Yet rather than the pleasure of university, the focus is once again on the dangers posed by the presence of radical speakers on British campuses. New steps are needed to strike the right balance between freedom of expression, and safeguarding young minds from extremism. […]
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UK Government distances itself from the British University in Egypt over antisemitism scandal
International partnerships undoubtedly bring many social and economic benefits to students and academics. They can also bring unwanted baggage. British universities that partner or set up satellite campuses across the world can run into serious issues related to unethical funding sources, links to extremism and other possible conflicts of interest. This has been very much […]
Continue readingRecent successes highlight support for Prevent
It’s been a busy time for Prevent. The past weeks have been awash with media stories of key Prevent successes. A high profile legal challenge to the government’s Prevent strategy was defeated at the High Court on 26 July 2017. In late 2016, Salman Butt took legal action against the government. His appeal for judicial […]
Continue readingMitigating the Risks? Compliance with the Prevent Duty on Campus
In September 2015, universities became subject to the legal duty to have due regard for the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism mandated by the Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015. The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) was tasked with regulating this duty, and institutions were required to submit policies […]
Continue readingNew briefing examines on-campus events in London
A new briefing released today by Student Rights examines the number of events featuring speakers with a history of extreme or intolerant views, or a history of involvement with extremist organisations, logged across London in the first four months of the 2015-16 academic year. Managing extreme speakers was highlighted by the government as part of […]
Continue readingMP writes to SOAS over extreme speaker events
Last week, it was reported that ‘Helping Households under Great Stress’ (HHUGS) had campaigned at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) during an event calling for the release of convicted terrorists. Journalists were given a card claiming Islamist terrorist Adel Abdel Bary was detained without charge, despite Bary’s 2014 conviction for his involvement […]
Continue readingThe Prevent Duty on Campus – Reflections on First Term Experiences
On 21st September, a new statutory duty for universities to “have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism” came into force. This gave institutions a legal requirement to put policies in place to challenge on-campus radicalisation and guarantee compliance with the government’s Prevent strategy. While universities have broadly accepted […]
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