Free speech Bill to combat ‘undue foreign influence’
THE Government has said “foreign actors” will not be able to have “undue influence” over UK universities, in amendments to its Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill.
The tabled amendments call for UK higher education institutions to report any financial arrangements they have with individuals or organisations overseas “to ensure that UK values cannot be compromised”.
Universities and student societies will also have to share details of overseas funding from specified countries, and would face fines or other sanctions over perceived risks to freedom of speech or academic freedom because of their funding routes.
The proposed threshold for reporting is £75,000, and will exempt countries such as Japan and Australia, listed in the Academic Technology Approval Scheme, as well as countries in the European Union and Nato.
The Department for Education opens applications today for its new director for freedom of speech and academic freedom on the board of the Office for Students who will have the power to sanction universities over cases of no-platforming or unlawfully restricting free speech.
Higher and further education minister Michelle Donelan, inset, said: “We are home to some of the best universities in the world and for decades students have travelled thousands of miles across the globe to study here because of our values of free speech and academic freedom.
“It is right that we are taking new action to protect our universities from undue foreign influences that work against British values – this is a Bill that the rest of the world will take note of.”
She added that she looked forward to working with the new director “to tackle these important issues and ensure we remain one of the most academically free countries in the world”. The Commons will also debate a further amendment to the Bill today to make sure security costs for visiting speakers at universities are not passed on to student societies, to prevent “no-platforming by the back door”.
It says that security costs should be covered by the relevant body, rather than being passed on to societies or event organisers.
The Government said this followed cases where a student society at Bristol University had faced a £500 security charge from the student union to invite the Israeli ambassador to give a talk.