University of Lincoln Response to Palestine Solidarity Campaign

The ongoing conflict in Gaza has focused attention on the extent to which universities are engaged with organisations responsible for supplying weapons, ammunition and other materials used in the conflict. There has also been a call for universities to provide more support to refugees from the conflict, consistent with the support provided to refugees from Ukraine.

Ethical Standards

The University of Lincoln already has an ethical investment policy as well as ethical standards for research activity. As it stands, however, there is no overarching ethical standard that is applied to partnerships, or other educational relationships. In practice, the University does consider these relationships against the same broad approach it applies to research but we acknowledge there is a gap in our ethical framework. We commit to working with the university community (through recognised Trades Unions and the Students’ Union) to refresh our existing ethical investment and research policies and to ensure other university activities are brought within a consistent ethical framework. We will start that work when students return to the campus in the Autumn with the aim of completing it before the end of 2024.

Transparency

The University accepts that transparency is important. Once updated, we will publish our ethical standards on our website and we will also publish more information about our decision-making in respect of contracts and partnerships that may be considered controversial. This will include details of contracts and partnerships with the defence industry as well as with foreign governments. We commit to publishing that information by the end of 2024 for any current contracts and then updating the information annually in line with the preparation of the University’s financial statements. Subject to the conclusions of the review of our ethical standards, the University believes academics should be able to engage with the UK Ministry of Defence, the Armed Forces and other UK security services. We also believe academics should be able to work with defence companies that supply the UK’s defence and security services as well as those of other countries to whom the UK Government has issued export licences. However, no member of the University’s staff should feel under any obligation to participate in that work, nor will they be subject to any sanction should they choose to opt out.

Freedom of Speech and Protest

The University believes in academic freedom and free speech. This includes the right to protest as well as the right to engage in education and research that some in our community might find objectionable. These rights must be exercised within the law and the University’s ethical standards and, subject to that point, the University will not seek to sanction, or otherwise interfere with the exercising of those rights by students, including international students and those on accredited programmes, except where professional bodies might explicitly set additional professional restrictions. In those circumstances, the University will make any restrictions clear to students at their earliest opportunity and will not seek to extend those restrictions. Staff, as in any organisation, are also bound by a broader duty to act in the interests of the University and this necessarily prevents them from acting to undermine the University. An example of that activity would be actively and explicitly encouraging potential students to choose another university. On the other hand, staff who protest to demand change, or seek to highlight the University’s relationships with defence companies, would, generally, not be subject to any sanction even though it would be critical of the University and, in particular, its management.

Scholarships for Refugees

The University agrees that a scholarship scheme should be created for refugees from the Israel/Palestine conflict. In creating such a scholarship, the University recognises the UK Government has not facilitated the safe passage of refugees to the UK and this is likely to limit the applicability of any scheme. However, the University will work with the Students’ Union and recognised Trades Unions to develop scholarships for refugees from the Israel/Gaza conflict. The University will also work with UUK and others to encourage the Government to be proactive in enabling refugees to travel to the UK for the purposes of education, particularly where their education has been interrupted by conflict.