Arif Ahmed, director of free speech at the Office for Students, used his first address in the role to highlight data that shows academic freedom in the UK has dropped in the last 10 years and it now ranks around 60th in the world for academic freedom, well below nearly all EU countries.
Professor Ahmed also pointed to evidence that shows students are increasingly avoiding inviting controversial speakers to universities, and said a poll of academics found 35 per cent in the UK were self-censoring, compared to 19 per cent in the EU.
This story is from the October 09, 2023 edition of Evening Standard.
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This story is from the October 09, 2023 edition of Evening Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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