China-critical UK academics describe ‘extremely heavy’ pressure from Beijing | Universities
British academics whose research is critical of China say they have been targeted and their universities have come under “extremely heavy” pressure from Beijing, prompting calls for a fresh look at the sector’s dependence on tuition fee income from Chinese students.
The academics spoke out after the Guardian this week revealed that Sheffield Hallam University had complied with Beijing’s demand to stop research into human rights abuses in China, leading to the cancellation of a major project.
A UK-based Chinese scientist says he has since become the victim of death threats and a smear campaign, while another has been sanctioned for his work on human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims and can no longer travel to China to conduct his research.
Others have described the application of “soft” or “indirect” pressure, leading academics to self-censor and risk-averse universities to avoid research that could put them in conflict with China, which controls the flow of students to financially vulnerable UK universities.
In February, Sheffield Hallam, which houses the Helena Kennedy Center for International Justice (HKC), a research institution focused on human rights, ordered one of its leading professors, Laura Murphy, to cease research into Chinese supply chains and forced labor.
Emails seen by the Guardian suggest commercial factors were taken into account in placing restrictions on Murphy’s work. In October, after threats of legal action, the university lifted the ban and apologized, but the eight-month suspension raised fresh concerns about the chilling effect pressure from Chinese authorities could have on UK universities.
“I think there are a lot of people who experience some version of this, usually more subtle, usually not so black and white. But speaking out against their university is very risky. They’re worried they might suffer the consequences,” Murphy told the Guardian.
Andreas Fulda, a political scientist and China scholar at the University of Nottingham, is among those targeted for his critical scholarship and media commentary. At one point, eponymous “spoof” emails were sent to colleagues announcing his resignation and inviting them to a farewell drink.
He doesn’t know who sent the emails. There were also death threats against him and his family. “What I learned is that once you reach a certain threshold of detection in the eyes of Chinese security agencies, you are punished to deter you from expressing your views,” he said.
Fulda said he hoped the Sheffield Hallam case would be a turning point and highlighted the risks of the current UK higher education funding model, in which universities are heavily reliant on higher tuition fees paid by international students, the largest group of which come from China.
The government’s recent promise to increase domestic tuition fees in line with inflation has been welcomed by the industry; but plans for a 6% international student tax to fund the reintroduction of maintenance grants risk eliminating much of this benefit.
Fulda said: “What is very clear is that the Chinese party state has serious influence and British universities have serious weaknesses. If universities do not stop engaging with China, I fear we will have many more Sheffield Hallam incidents in the future.”
Jo Smith Finley, a reader in China studies at Newcastle University, was sanctioned by China in 2021 for her work on human rights violations against Uyghurs. He said: “Since then Newcastle University has walked a very difficult tightrope in its treatment of me because I have become a liability in a context where universities are entirely dependent on Chinese student tuition fees.
“The pressure exerted by Chinese authorities on university representatives working in the PRC is extremely heavy. [People’s Republic of China] on recruitment and also on university administrators in the UK.
Other academics in the field were reluctant to comment publicly. Against the backdrop of mass redundancies across the industry, one academic said: “I fear I will lose my job if I tell British universities about my experiences working in China.”
University UK, which represents the sector, said: “UK universities are committed to supporting freedom of expression and academic freedom. They work hard to protect these fundamental freedoms and meet the important statutory duties set out by the Office for Students in this area. This commitment includes international research and partnerships with institutions around the world.”
“UK universities take any threat to the freedom of their staff or students extremely seriously and we work closely with the government to prevent this. Anyone working or studying at our universities should know that their rights to civil and academic freedom are protected while on British soil.”
