Russell Group response to UCU motion on academic links to Israeli institutions
28 May 2008
In response to a motion concerning academic links to Israeli institutions passed today by the University and College Union's annual Congress, Professor Malcolm Grant, Chairman of the Russell Group and President and Provost of UCL, said:
"We reject this resolution. Knowing that an explicit call for an academic boycott would be unlawful, the UCU Conference have adopted a device which seeks the same end, but implicitly. The change in wording this year dispels none of our fundamental objections to any academic boycott. The internationally-acknowledged strength of British universities is founded squarely on our tradition of open and free inquiry and freedom of speech. It is particularly disturbing and frustrating to find an academic union persisting in seeking to undermine this quality rather than upholding it.
"The Russell Group universities will continue to uphold academic freedom and to stand firm against any union action that threatens it."
Notes:
1. Full text of the UCU motion is available here (number 25): http://www.ucu.org.uk/circ/html/ucu104.html
2. UCU passed a similar motion in May 2007, which called for the circulation of 'the full text of the Palestinian boycott call to all branches for information and discussion'. www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm=2595. In September 2007 action relating to this motion was suspended after the UCU received legal advice deeming a boycott to be illegal. http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=2829
3. Recent legal advice published by the ‘Stop the Boycott’ campaign has stated that it would be unlawful for the UCU to pass this motion. http://www.stoptheboycott.org/files/ucu%20opinion_%20Final.PDF