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Body to Fight Cancel Culture Formed by 100 Top U.K. Academics

by Richard Eldred
5 November 2023 1:00 PM

Over 100 academics from leading U.K. universities have united to “fight cancel culture” through the establishment of a new council dedicated to upholding academic freedom. The Telegraph has the story.

In the first move of its kind, the scholars have formed the London Universities’ Council for Academic Freedom that spans all of the capital’s campuses, including University College London (UCL), King’s College London, Imperial College London and the London School of Economics.

It aims to defend the principles of free inquiry, intellectual diversity and civil discourse, following a spate of free speech rows in recent years and escalating campus rows over the Hamas-Israel war.

Inspired by the Harvard Council on Academic Freedom in the U.S. which was launched earlier this year, the group has already amassed more than 100 academics – 70 of them professors – mainly from the ‘big four’ London universities who are members of the prestigious Russell Group.

They will aim to prevent free speech scandals happening in the first place by “demonstrating the strength and breadth of support for academic freedom” to university bosses and drawing up resources to challenge “institutional policies and practices” that erode free speech.

One of the co-founders, John Armstrong, a lecturer in financial mathematics at King’s College London, told the Telegraph: “We all need to fight cancel culture. It has been painted as a Left-Right issue, but academics across the political spectrum need to know that they can explore controversial ideas without fearing for their careers.”

Another co-founder, Prof. Alice Sullivan, a sociology expert at UCL, said: “It is really important because if academics don’t defend academic freedom then we can’t rely on anyone else to do it.

“Over the last few years, there have been growing concerns about academic freedom and we think it’s timely given the legislation on academic freedom, that may give us an entry point to actually get university leaders to engage with these issues with academics who care deeply about it.

“The transgender issue has alerted people to how serious the problems are, but of course it’s not just that – whether it be the current discussion about Israel-Palestine, Islam, race, all sorts of issues.”

Worth reading in full.

Tags: Academic FreedomBig FourFree SpeechHarvard Council on Academic FreedomLondon Universities’ Council for Academic FreedomUniversities

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3 Comments
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huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
1 year ago

“Imperial College London and the London School of Economics.”

Rather shocked to see these two in the frame given their funding sources. I wonder if this move will spark a backlash.

This action is certainly required and pressure must be applied to ensure abuses of language are brought to a stop. We must reclaim the rightful application of our vocabulary and morès.

All fightbacks appreciated and welcome.

41
0
huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
1 year ago
Reply to  huxleypiggles

https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/how-the-west-was-lost-part-1/

And this article, first in a four part series from TCW is a welcome addition to the subject.

“This is the first of a four-part series running over consecutive Sundays about how the secularised West has opened the door to Islamism (and barbarity and de-civilisation), and how intolerance is defeating the West’s hard-won tradition of toleration.”

“Our freedom has given rise to scientific and technical advances which have brought about relief from famine and the alleviation of grinding poverty for billions throughout the world. Without free speech this would not have happened, yet the removal of free speech and enforced compliance with approved thought and expression is one of the main planks of the woke ideologues emerging from our universities and schools.”

Last edited 1 year ago by huxleypiggles
25
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RumpoMidwinter
RumpoMidwinter
1 year ago

Congratulations to these hundred academics. Of course, their positions will doubtless become even more tenuous than they already are – witness the fate of Professor Eric Kaufman, driven out of Birkbeck by a continual campaign of bigotry and hatred. The problem is now – as the despicable left likes to say – “systemic”; the vast majority of hacks is either in with the programme or totally cowed; the students have become red guards enforcing insanity as orthodoxy, and the elected government is a powerless puppet dancing to the agenda of the Marxist deep state. This, let us recall, was the administration dedicated to preserving free speech with targeted legislation; instead, it has chosen to usher in state censorship of the press under the cover of “protecting children”. Facing these hundred academics then is a solid front of infamy, from the bought up press to the puppet government and lurking behind them the sinister face of supranational Marxism. Good luck, ladies and gentlemen – you’ll need it!

36
0

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