The Education Committee heard evidence on September 7 on the
subject of free speech and research content in English
universities (Non-inquiry session).
Witnesses were Professor Sasha Roseneil (Vice-Chancellor at
University of Sussex), Professor Anthony Forster (Vice-Chancellor
at University of Essex), and Susan Lapworth (Chief Executive at
Office for Students)
Extract
Chair (Robert Halfen MP): To just finish off, both Essex and
Sussex University student unions have passed motions backing the
boycott of Israel—BDS which, as you know, stands for boycott
divestment and sanctions. The group calls for the boycott of
Israeli businesses and academics, for investors in Israeli firms
to divest their holdings and for sanctions to be imposed on
Israel itself. You are aware of a lot of feeling about
antisemitism across our universities; since both your student
unions signed up to BDS, how many speakers from Israel have been
invited to speak at your universities? Given the stance of your
respective student unions in favour of boycotting Israeli
academics, how will you ensure that your respective student
unions protect speakers from Israel or who express a pro-Israel
point of view? I will start with you, please, Sasha.
Professor Roseneil: I have no knowledge of any speakers being
no-platformed or uninvited by our students’ union but, as I have
said, I am new to the university. I would be very surprised if
that happened, but I will look into it. We are very proud at
Sussex of the Sussex Weidenfeld centre for Jewish studies. We
have a professor of Israeli Studies at Sussex. I am deeply
committed to Sussex is a place where the Israel-Palestine
conflict can be openly discussed and where Israeli members of
staff and students and visitors are welcome alongside Palestinian
members of staff, students and visitors. We have to be a place
that is open to debate and discussion.
Professor Forster: I do not have any details on that, Chairman,
so I will go away and make some enquiries and then send you a
note on that, but I hope that nobody is in any doubt that, as
Sasha has said, we have to be absolutely open to all views that
are lawful and to make sure that we are living that in terms of
the range of different voices and views that are expressed on our
campuses. I will make an inquiry and produce a note for you.
Full transcript
