Statement Signatories #1504 and counting
1000. Dr Jennie Bristow – Canterbury Christ Church University
999. John Dixon – University of Kent at Canterbury: ‘B.A. (Hons) Politics and International Relations.’
998. Wan Manan, Alma Ata University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
997. Tom Hanna, PhD Candidate, University of Houston
996. Susan Morris, Barrister
995. Pamela Fiedler – Professor of Graphic Design, Wayne State College, Masters in Holocaust Education, University of Haifa International Graduate Programs
986. David di Nota – Université Paris 8
994. Daniel C. Holtrop – Calvin University; IN U-Bloomington
993. Tarquin Sutherland – Writer (Country Squire Magazine)
992. Harry McKenna – postgraduate student at University of Sheffield
991. Nur Hasliza -postgraduate student, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
990. Yee Ting Ong – AIMST UNIVERSITY
989. Hussaini Maccido Muhammadu, undergraduate student of Building at Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria.
988. Kelly Power – PhD candidate, KCL
987. Maxim Novikov – Physician, Geisinger Medical Center (Alumnus, Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
985. Lynne Robertson – Coalition for Biological Reality: “I believe that Universities need to be places where ideas can be debated and pulled apart. Freedom of speech is a necessity to enable all ideas and real-world impacts of those ideas to be investigated and reviewed. When free speech is taken away laws and polices based on philosophical ideas cannot be critiqued or worse social statistics needed to do the critical analysis cannot be collected.”
984. Richard Hayes – Waterford Institute of Technology
983. Aiden Patrick Gregg – University of Southampton
982. Lorraine O’Flaherty – Stockton University
981. Mark Drinkwater – self employed
980. Dick Breeze – Retired Consultant Physician in Internal Medicine, University of Manchester
979. Dr Sonya Andermahr – University of Northampton
978. L. Caroline Bergeron – Bishop’s/U. de Montréal/UQàM
977. Jean L. Wyldbore – The Coalition for Biological Reality – Australia and New Zealand
976. Dr Daniel Jupp – alumnus The University of Essex: ‘I am a PhD graduate. I do not work in the academic sector but retain an interest in and support for academic freedom of speech. I think the imposition of a uniform political and ideological stance and the suppression of research and opinion which challenges this orthodoxy contradicts the entire purpose of scholarship.’
975. Carole Maddern – Goldsmiths College University of London: ‘I fully concur with these two principles.’
974. Vytautas Viktoras Vadauskas – York University: ‘I just heard about this movement and applaud your efforts to put a stop to the insanity that is sweeping through the academic world as well as the media. The airways and printed media (with a few notable exceptions) engage in what is popularly called “gaslighting”. Our current federal government has become a tyrannical, centralized powerhouse led by an egotistic, self-serving embarrassment of a leader who keeps getting elected by a brainwashed largely urban populace trained to expect “free stuff”. Having come from hard-working refugee stock who fled (barely) the communist, socialist, soviet tsunami in 1945, I fear that our once great nation is heading towards a similar social “experiment” under the guise of “building back better”. It’s time for action.’
973. Dr Sean Lang – Anglia Ruskin University: ‘It shouldn’t be necessary to say these things, but since it is…’
972. Jamil Khatib – University of Aberdeen
971. Caroline Walker-Gleaves – University of Newcastle
970. Bel Mooney – UCL: ‘This is one of the most important issues of our time.’
969. Philip Kinsella – Nottingham University
968. Peter Swann – Emeritus Professor of Industrial Economics, University of Nottingham: ‘JS Mill: “The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it.”’
967. Professor David Wootton – University of York
966. Lucia Magathova – University College London
965. Dr Alan Berkeley Thomas – Formerly Senior Lecturer in Sociology & Organizational Behaviour, University of Manchester
964. Simon McIlwaine – MA Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge.
963. Don Trubshaw – Nottingham Trent University: ‘Very pleased to be part of this important network at this time. Dr Don Trubshaw’.
962. Clive Radford – Bournemouth University
961. Isabel Campelos – University of Lincoln/NCFM: ‘I stand in support of all our freedoms. As academics, it is our duty to challenge ideas and debate them, openly and fairly. We shall not be intimidated into silence, when the debate is not convenient. I came here in support of Kathleen Stock.’
960. Beata Borowska-Beszta – Nicolaus Copernicus University, Poland
959. Nick Croft – The University of Salford – Alumnus of the University of Lincoln and the University of Salford
958. Antonina Kizlova – National Technical University of Ukraine «Igor Sikorsky Polytechnic Institute»
957. Tam Mie – American University of Phnom Penh
956. Dr Hannen Emad – Arab Open University
955. Lauren Layn – University of Cambridge alumna
954. Professor John Kersey – Chancellor, Western Orthodox University, Florida, USA
953. Robin Leslie – London School of Economics: ‘Character building and the ancient virtues are the fruit of academic freedom, which is the unlimited and unrestricted expression of conflicting views.’
952. Julia Gallacher – alumna, Manchester Metropolitan University
951. Elizabeth Churton – Leeds Beckett University
950. Esther Griffiths – Bangor University, Disability Support Manager
949. Professor Rosa Freedman, Law School, University of Reading, UCU member.
948. M. Gardner – University of Manchester
947. Barry Wall – University of Sheffield
946. Professor Robert Hudson – University of Derby
945. Professor James Whitley – Cardiff University: ‘I am particularly shocked by Sussex UCU’s statement which threw Kathleen Stock under a bus.’
944. Kim Sales – University of the Witwatersrand: ‘I would like to see this statement adopted by academics and universities worldwide.’
943. Lauren Gardner – The Open University
942. Carina O’Reilly – University of Lincoln
941. Doug Moreno – USUE/Nursing/Firefighter/Medic
940. Patricia Christina Steen – Open University: ‘Academic free speech is important. We need to be able to talk about uncomfortable topics and those that do, should be free from harassment.’
939. Hugh Lester – former lecturer at Coleg Glan Hafren
938. Kim Teresa Marsh, Metanoia Institute, University of Middlesex
937. Faridah Manuf – IIUM Kuala Lumpur – alumnus, Flinders University, Aus.
936. Julie Greenhalgh – Open University
936. Vivienne Shilling – alumna, The University of Sheffield
935. Mary-Ann Collis: ‘I have studied at two universities and greatly valued the academic rigour of thinking, contesting others thinking and having my own thinking contested – it is how we learn and develop. Freedom of speech is essential.’
934. Sam Cowie – Open University: ‘Student, OUFSS’
933. Miranda Yardley – University of Wales Bangor
932. Victoria Alison Unsworth – Open University: ‘Alumna of the open University’
931. Anne Marie Di Mambro – Glasgow Caledonian University
930. Catherine Davis – Open University alumna
929. Abigail Burnyeat – University of the Highlands and Islands: ‘SMO Head of Research’
928. Corey Hart – Villanova University, Department of Physics
927. Matthew Jolly – Gateway Community College
926. Guy Marsh – University of Southampton
925. Sergiu Ungureanu – City, University of London: Lecturer, Department of Economics: ’I think that the two principles stated are obviously a good thing for academia, and I’m sad that we have to reiterate them.’
924. Syed Kamall, Baron Kamall, Professor of Politics and International Relations at St Mary’s University, Twickenham.
923. Tom Bodkin, Alumnus The Open University: ‘[I am a] Philosopher and Theologian who is still engaged in academic research. I studied in the USA Ireland, England and Germany. My specific field of study is Bio-Medical Ethics. I believe firmly in academic freedom and the right to express constructive views that enable advancement in the sciences that benefit mankind. Taught Ethics etc at Chichester Theological College before it closed in 1995.’
922. D. Ray McClellan, University of Georgia
921. Annie Gonzaga Deschatre, University of Houston Clear Lake, Sociology
920. Patricia M. Thornton – University of Oxford
919. Dermot Smyth – Durham University, Sheffield University (retired): ‘Corporate money is progressively eroding academic freedom. University bodies to oversee corporate partnerships/sponsorships should include elected staff, students and trade union reps. Democratic transparency should override commercial confidentiality.
The traditional collegiate system of management should be reintroduced. Application of pure research to useful technology should be welcomed, but only via not-for-profit initiatives.’
918. Edmund Sonuga-Barke – King’s College London: ‘I am a Professor of Developmental Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience. I am a PhD, and an FBA and FMedSci.’
917. Anna Rye – University of Kent
916. Neil Anderson – Oxford Business College: ‘Assistant Director of Studies’
915. Clara J. Hamlin -Froebel
914. Tyler Harris – graduate, Bellarmine University
913. Jessica Evans – Social Sciences Faculty – The Open University: ‘Universities are simply impoverished if an atmosphere of fear prevails as well as actual attempts to prevent colleagues from speaking, researching and teaching just because they “offend” you or you don’t agree with them. Evidence and critical interrogation is the core business of universities. Remove that and we don’t have universities just McCarthyist machines for punishing wrongthink.’
912. Jonathan Hearn – Sociology, School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh
911. Rachel Sara – Senior lecturer in research methods, Teesside University
910. Lisa Keogh – Abertay University
909. Kulwinder Gill – graduate, Punjabi University Regional Centre Bathinda, India
908. Dr Shamik Chakravarty – PhD in Philosophy, Lingnan University, Hong Kong Currently: Independent Scholar
907. Gale Macleod- School of Education, University of Edinburgh
906. Karen Ancill – alumna University of Edinburgh, former Senior Lecturer, London
905. James Furno – Polk State College
904. Howard Elster – graduate, UCLA
903. Kendra Mead – Homeschool
902. Okware Oscar Peterson – University of Manchester – studied Orthopaedic Medicine at Mulago Para-Medical Schools.
901. David William Parry – alumnus, Heythrop College, University of London
900. Nadja Rosental – alumna, University of Sussex
899. Richard Alan Lehrman – graduate, University of Virginia,
898. Jose Galego – graduate, Rutgers University
897. Christopher Meade – Shawnee State University
896. Henry Wolkowicz – University of Waterloo
895. Leo Pistorius – University of Pretoria graduate 1985. Businessman from 1986
894. Ryan Wasser – MA: Philosophy/English, West Chester University Tutor, Northampton Community College Instructor, Lackawanna Community College
893. Amy Rosno – English teacher, eAchieve Academy.
892. Aleksandra Phillips, MD – Cambridge Health Alliance
891. Michael Swope, Adjunct Professor of History, Schoolcraft College
890. Richard Overbre, graduate University of Kentucky
889. Anne-Marie Paquet Degree in philosophy Université du Québec à Montréal
888. Sara D. Jones –Studied Public Administration (Masters) at West Virginia University
887. Dewald Niemandt – Studied NDip: Information Technology at Vaal Triangle Technicon
886. Dominique Huff Former Georgia State/Kennesaw State student, Journalist/Commentator
885. Feyyazcan Muhtar – former BA student, Dogus Universitesi: ‘Political correctness in our day has become a sign of intellectual demise and decadence, as such, I fully endorse this group advocating for academic freedom, and would like to join.’
884. Corrin Fambrini Howe
883. Martyn Riley – former university lecturer
882. Chuck DiSchino – Boston
881. Hugo Shyovitz – graduate from UniValle
880. Claudia Anderson – grad of The University of Tennessee
879. Paul Driftmier – Founding Board President Exploration Academy, Verona Area School District, Verona, Wisconsin
878. Alisa Serdyuk, MBA, MS Engineer Economist, Master of Education – SUNY Albany, Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University, and Prekarpathian University.
877. Walt Lesiw – St. Louis University, graduate – US Army, Retired
876. Edward M Borninski – University of Michigan
875. Todd Kashdan, George Mason University
874. Andreas Panayides – Goldsmiths: ‘Lecturer of Political Theory, Goldsmiths University of London’
873. Jill Bartholome – Imperial valley college: ‘Fantastic group’
872. Rachel Kuper, Excellence in Enumclaw Education
871. Richard Obenauf, PhD, Term Teaching Faculty, University of New Mexico Honors College
870. Olivier Nomblot , MBA Pepperdine University
869. Manaka Tshwane, University of Technology (SA)
868. Dr Nadia Edmond – University of Brighton
867. Ian Yates – The Hatfield Polytechnic
866. Calvin Robinson – Oxford
865. Dr Anke Marsh (honorary research associate, UCL)
864. Keenan Clough – BA Politics student, University of Liverpool
863. Dr Philippe MARTI – Université de Nice (FR) and University of Wales, Cardiff
862. Paula Wright, Grad Student, Brunel, London
861. Andrew Cox – University of Exeter
856. Mahalia Dyer – Bangor University: ‘MSc 4th Year Student at Bangor University’
860. Mischa Moselle – University of Hong Kong
859. Alice Wallace – Student, Bath Spa University
858. Jordan Kirwan, PhD Researcher, Waterford I.T.
857. Mathew Sidebottom, visiting lecturer, University of Huddersfield
855. Catherine Bloxham – Birmingham City University
854. Pete Hall – Birmingham City University: ‘IT Skills trainer’
853. David Hackbridge Johnson – Royal Academy of Music
852. Niloo – Kwantlen Polytechnic University: ‘Student’
851. Pete Zimmer – University of Warwick
850. Alastair Gray – London Metropolitan University (BA); Warwick (MA); Sussex (MA): ‘Academic enquiry without freedom of speech is like a game of football without the ball.’
849. Robert Bashforth – Leeds UTC: ‘I am a free speech absolutist. I believe in free speech, no ifs or buts’.
848. Jem Bennewith, MA International Relations/European Studies, University of Kent 1994. Diploma of Periodical Journalism, London College of Printing 2000.
847. Maggie Hammond, London South Bank University
846. Thomas Inns – Falmouth university: ‘Freedom of speech is a great tool for the defense of a reasonable democracy.’
845. Daniel Sharp – University of Edinburgh
844. John Hartung, Adjunct Professor, Onondaga Community College Syracuse, NY
843. Jamie L Wraight, Lecturer IV, The University of Michigan
842. Todd A. Good, Unit Business Officer, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
841. Major Tristan Griffin, studied Healthcare Management and Leadership at University of Cumbria
840. Dr Simon Peatman, post-doctoral research assistant, University of Leeds
839. Mr Adrian Gennard – University of North London (now London Metropolitan University): ‘I have seen the “Banned List” connected to this website and I am appalled by such unjustified persecution of individuals. If this continues, then the future is very bleak. Such claims that people don’t feel safe are only claims and the authorities should not give in to claims that are not backed up by facts or which have a very tenuous link with reality. It’s not so much the paranoid lynch-mobs who are the problem- it’s the authorities that are giving in to them.’
838. Amar Trivedi, alumnus, University of East London. Guest lecturer at the University of Essex
837. Kristian Pedersen, Lecturer, Centre for Open Learning, University of Edinburgh
836. Judie Roberts – TCAT Telford: ‘Personal abuse is not the same as free speech.’
835. Yael Bat Rachel – Oxford Brookes University: ‘Thank you for creating this list.’
834. Richard North – Sussex and Brunel: ‘We must defend Free Speech across the academy. No ifs, no buts, no infantilising.’
833. Malaika Sarco-Thomas – University of Chester: ‘The cornerstone of research and learning is freedom: of enquiry and of expression. Motions to re-examine our curricula are always welcome when they strengthen our methods of teaching, yet at the same time the opportunity to express controversial or unpopular viewpoints in the spirit of dialogue and discourse is fundamental if we are to preserve a sense of objectivity, curiosity, and genuine quest for truth within the arts and humanities– and all subjects.’
832. Simon Vallance – University of New England, Australia
831. Darren Williams – Sam Houston State University: ‘Clarity before agreement. Without free discourse, there can be no clarity, and only coerced ideological submission.’
830. David Ashton – Oxford/Pembroke College: ‘Thirty years of teaching English & History in UK state schools corroborated my personal and research knowledge of the political background to the control of academic institutions and publications. Some of this in respect of the British situation is documented in my essay on the “Cult of Woke” for The Quarterly Review, January 27, 2021, online.’
829. Anthony Nunn – Edinburgh University (Alumni)
828. John Towler, PhD, Swansea University
827. LEE McKENNA – MacQuarie University
826. Pauline Hall – London South East Colleges
825. Susan (Susie) Hawkes – University of Wolverhampton
824. Dr Shivadas SIVASUBRAMANIAM – University of Derby: ‘I agree that academics should have the freedom of speech to show their feelings towards any changes within or outside academia.’
823. Swavik Dittmer – Open University: ‘I’m currently studying for BA (Hons) PPE at the Open University. Previously, in Poland, I studied English Philology and Psychology at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow.’
822. Stephen Baskerville – PhD, London School of Economics, 1987. Recently dismissed as full professor at Patrick Henry College, USA: ‘I write about attacks on academic freedom at universities, especially in the US and especially connected new methods used in my own termination: eg, https://www.jamesgmartin.center/2021/01/scholastic-gag-orders-ndas-mandatory-arbitration-and-the-legal-threat-to-academics/’
821. Tim Anderson – Centre for Counter Hegemonic Studies
820. Martin Adams – Trinity College Dublin (Fellow Emeritus)
819. Tim Howell – University of Derby/ College of Health, Psychology and Social Care
818. Prateek Adhikari – University of Derby: ‘I wholeheartedly agree with both principles.’
817. Victoria Whitworth – College of Global Studies (Edinburgh): ‘Universities should be standing up for full and free discussion of all ideas. If an idea is bad, shine light on it.’
816. Jane Harris – University of Glasgow, University of East Anglia
814. Henrik Sundin – Linköpings University
815. Stuart Paterson – University of Stirling (BA 1992): The levels of attempted closure of free speech by certain identity politics-identifying staff and their Postgrads there are very worrying, in fact disgraceful.’
813. Sarah Honeychurch – University of Glasgow
812. Elizabeth Barber – Newcastle: ‘This growing trend towards cancel culture is sickening and dangerous, let alone illiberal. It is happening in all settings, not just our Universities, but they, perhaps more than most, are in a position whereby vast numbers of young adults can be disabused of the notion that cancelling, no platforming, suppressing free speech, alternative thinking, open debate et al is in their gift. The tail cannot and must not be allowed to wag the dog.’
811. Martin Evison – Visiting Professor Federal University of Sao Paulo
810. Adeline Au – Ruskin College, Oxford: ‘I fully support your statement – that progress can only be achieved if people are encouraged to voice their opinion freely without intimidation. So, how else does democracy work if such basic principle is not followed?’
809. Dr Shereen Benjamin – University of Edinburgh: ‘Academic freedom is a cornerstone of democracy. Our universities have to be places where ideas and ideologies can be critically examined and challenged – even (or perhaps especially) ideas that are fashionable and present themselves as unassailable.’
808. Professor Tom C. Hunley – Western Kentucky University
807. Dr Michael Owens – independent
806. Katherine Morgan-Davies – University of Leeds: ‘Absolutely agree, I was once a prisoner in a Maoist cult and the way things are going nowadays, I feel that such illiberal ideologies are stealing our freedom and Liberty. I will fight against it till my last breath!’
805. Steve Roberts – Entrepreneur
804. Dr Prakash Shah – Queen Mary University of London: Reader in Culture and Law.
803. Jan Bownes – Ruskin College
802. Mark D Price – Independent Post-Doctoral Researcher: ‘At least two kinds of pernicious activity are harming our Universities. The first comprises of an emotional emphasis on how people “feel” about challenging material and debates which require careful and often painful thought. The second is a management surrender to PR and image, rather than the rigorous pursuit of truth. Both are fuelled by ideas of education as ”a marketplace’ and the student as ‘a customer’ rather than a seeker of knowledge. This is disastrous for free academic enquiry.’
801. Ruth Todd – Ruskin College 1967-69: ‘Academic freedom is a necessary component of education.’
800. Nigel Singh – Ruskin College, Oxford: ‘Freedom Of Thought & Expression Is The Necessity Of Academic Development.’
799. Dr Simon Knight – University of Strathclyde and Glasgow Caledonian University: “Not currently working – available!”
798. Jim Devlin – University of Leicester
797. Dr Paul Gilfillan – Queen Margaret University: ‘I am happy to be associated with resistance to the coercive presence within universities today of those who seek to control (under the guise of deeply divisive and often evidence-free agendas of ‘inclusivity’) what students and academics can openly discuss and teach.’
796. Thom Nickels – City Journal New York; Frontpage Magazine
795. Rachel Jordan – Alumnus – The University of Sheffield: ‘As a linguist and teacher of English as a Second Language, I value the ability to use language to communicate thought with precision and I nurture this ability in my students. I believe that language as the means by which humans express their ideas, thoughts, hopes and desires should not be curtailed in any arena, and especially not in academia. Furthermore, I believe that educators in countries where historically there has been significant freedom of expression need to uphold this tradition to serve as a beacon of light for students and academics in places where are even more restrictions on free speech. In the UK it appears we are sadly going in the wrong direction. We need to shine the light not further darken the room.’
794. Guy Robert Brewer – University of Kent: ‘As a postgraduate in European Politics & Democracy Studies at the University of Kent 1998 I learned the importance of free speech on campus and the ability to use that to openly discuss important contested ideas and concepts in the Social Sciences and Humanities. To attack students and academic freedoms to discuss is a travesty of our increasingly authoritarian times and must be resisted.’
792. Dr Frances Maratos – Associate Professor, University of Derby: ‘Agree entirely’
791. Gary Holden – New York University: Silver School of Social Work: ‘University of Washington ’84; Columbia University ’87; ’90’
790. Dr Alexander Weber – Birkbeck College, University of London: ‘There is no genuine freedom of speech in the university anymore. The scope of ideas which could be explored in class with our students used to be wider than in other walks of life, now it is much narrower. Without this oxygen academic debate is stale, and predictable. Orwell wrote the user’s manual to academic discourse today.’
789. Richard Harris – Imperial College, London University (Graduate): ‘The need to be able to express opinions counter to the current accepted wisdom is crucial within academia, not to mention within any free and democratic society. The idea that academics can be punished or dismissed for expressing unpopular views is just plain wrong and, by its nature, cannot help but undermine academic debate and progress.’
788. Philip Davies – Bournemouth University: ‘It’s essential to be brutal with ideas and subject all of them to the harshest criticism. Only that way can you hope to get closer to the truth. And if you can’t do that freely in a university, then the university has lost its way.’
787. David Axe – Birkbeck, University of London: ‘How can we determine what’s true if we aren’t free to question everything?’
786. Ryan Alford – Lakehead University: ‘Associate Professor’
785. Dr Mark Cresswell – Manchester Metropolitan University: ‘Heresy can become orthodoxy. We need the freedom to be heretics without censure.’
784. Kirsty Allen – Open University
783. Dylan Adams – Cardiff Metropolitan University
782. Rick Mehta – Acadia University: ‘I was a professor at Acadia University from July 1, 2003 to August 31, 2018. I was dismissed from my position as a tenured professor for exercising my rights to academic freedom and dissent.’
781. Simon Newman – University of Westminster
780. Thoth Harris – Concordia University, Montreal, Canada
779. Kathrine Jebsen Moore – University of Westminster
778. Sandy Cope – Nottingham Trent University: ‘The pursuit of truth comes from discussion and debate. Open and honest debate without fear.’
777. Sebastian Averill – Loughborough University
776. Helen Radford – ‘I believe education and freedom of thought are important as we are all individuals not robots.’
775. Janice Fiamengo – University of Ottawa
774. Mike Buchanan – Reading University: ‘Thank you. What is the point of academics WITHOUT academic freedom? None.’
773. Elizabeth Hobson – The Open University: ‘Universities have been critically important spaces, creating opportunities for societies to grow, develop and cohere for centuries – but now we see the entrenchment of bad ideas such as censorship threatening their noble purpose as truth seeking institutions. This road leads to Hell.’
772. JPA Stroes – Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
771. Rod Thornton – King’s College London
770. Michael Rectenwald – New York University (retired): ‘It’s all in my books: Springtime for Snowflakes, and Beyond Woke.’
767. Tom Carew – Maynooth Graduate, Ireland: ‘2 absolutely fundamental and non-negotiable principles for any free university.’
769. Kate McCoy – Napa College (California, USA) Braintree College Essex: ‘If ideas cannot stand the test of scrutiny or question, they are not very worthy ideas.’
768. Chris Sharp – University of Wales / Cardiff: ‘I gained my second degree, an MA in Photojournalism in 1997-98. Unless universities are able to teach students to interrogate the existing wisdom in order to take our knowledge further, then it will not be worth attending university.’
766. Katherine Morgan-Davies – University of Leeds: ‘I completely agree with this statement. Having grown up in a totalitarian Communist sect where dissenting opinions were silenced through fear and often violence, I am appalled to see the creeping infringements on academic freedom and freedom of speech and expression as a whole, from a number of sections in society. This has got to stop!’
765. Julia Gasper – Writer
764. Rosli Mahat – Universiti Malaya: ‘I support the AFAF statement.’
763. Bridget Durell – Canterbury Christ Church University
762. Jane Robins – Exeter
761. Professor Mark Smith – University of Dundee
760. Alan Whitfield – University of Derby
759. Mike Chaffin – Aberystwyth: ‘Absolutely.’
758. Rhiannon Jones – University of East London: ‘The ignorant man labels what he does not understand as ‘evil’, then attempts to destroy it.’
757. James Black – Open University: ‘Masters in Philosophy from St Andrews, currently studying an MA in Classics at the OU. There is no academy without freedom.’
756. Susan Parlour – St Cecilia’s College
755. Jeffrey Ketland – University of Warsaw
754. Professor M. D. Allen – University of Wisconsin-Fox Valley
753. Richard Sanders – Newman University: ‘I fully agree and support the two key principles of academic freedom promoted here. These must be maintained to promote critical understanding and meaningful forward thinking action in society.’
752. Professor Stephen Ward – Bath Spa University
751. Dr Nicholas Joseph – University of Derby
750. Dr Sean Broome – University of Derby
749. Most Rev Jerome L H Lloyd – Alumnus, University of Aberystwyth: ‘Titular Archbishop of Selsey. Residing in Brighton & Hove, UK Sussex & Brighton Universities.’
748. Agnieszka Ziatek-Tith – University of Derby
747. Professor Dawn Forman – University of Derby
746. David Rosser-Owen – SOAS & UKC: ‘FRAS, MCIJ’
745. Carlton Brick – University of the West of Scotland: ‘A very necessary initiative.’
744. Mary Van de Water – former tutor at the Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Science
743. Professor Anthony O’Hear OBE – University of Buckingham: ‘The rather extensive legal privileges granted over the years to universities and to academics, including tenure, are justifiable only to the extent that they protect academic freedom.’
742. Toby Young – University of Oxford
741. Barbara Bassot – Canterbury Christ Church University
740. Daniel Wright – University of Derby
739. Peter D. C. Lloyd – Royal Holloway
738. Dr Andrew Calcutt – University of East London
737. PJ Vanston – Swansea: ‘I fully support the efforts of AFAF and other organisations defending and promoting freedom of thought, speech and expression in these book-banning no-platforming offence-seeking New Puritan Age times. My new campus/Brexit novel SOMEWHERE IN EUROPE portrays a fictional Welsh university in thrall to pc 2.0, snowflakery and wokedom. A 10-years-on sequel to CRUMP (2010) but also a stand-alone ‘state of the nation’ novel which dares to speak truth to power. My author website: www.vanston.co.uk‘
736. MJC Harpur – Trinity College, Dublin.: ‘Freedom of speech and thought is the prerequisite for all freedoms.’
735. Dr Paul King – Birkbeck, University of London
734. Kevin Smith – London College of Architecture and Surveying: ‘Higher education should be a place for learning, debate and free speech.’
733. Susan Leverick – London University
732. G Herdman – UCL
731. Tracey Ligan – University of Leicester
730. Rose Schofield – University of Derby
729. Sammyy Anderson – Abertay University
728. Professor Peter Ramsay – London School of Economics
727. Dr. Julian Ryall, philosophy tutor, Cardiff University: ‘Freedom of speech is quite simply the sine qua non of academic life. No ifs or buts. End of.’
726. Caroline Pellegrino – University of Winchester (King Alfred’s College of Higher Education)
725. Malcolm Bradley – Salford Technical College
724. Janice Taylor – London South Bank University
723. Robert Guttentag – UNC Greensboro
722. Dr Geoffrey Hinchliffe – University of East Anglia: ‘Academic freedom includes students as well as academics. This should be made clear. Academic freedom should be used responsibly as critique, not mere insulting as, e.g. in social media.’
721. Paul Thomas – The Leeds Salon, Sheffield Hallam University, alumnus ‘And neither should universities or student unions try and curb the exercise of freedom of speech at events with staff and students outside of the university.’
720. Syed Kamall – St Mary’s University, Twickenham
719. David Taylor – University of Derby: ‘The freedom to speak freely from a position of knowledge is the only way to enable change and challenge ignorance.’
718. Melvyn Newell – University of Kent at Canterbury
717. Austin Williams – Kingston School of Art: ‘Lecturers should not tell students what to think, but how to think, often by encouraging several sides to the same story. Having an opinion and being willing to be challenged for that opinion is part of that project. Universities have to be open-minded about this, the essence of intellectual engagement. Closing down debate, cancelling speakers or worse, removing someone from post because of their opinions is, and must remain, anathema to academia.’
716. J. Michael Bailey – Northwestern University: ‘Do we need universities? Only if we can count on them to provide honest answers to important questions. This requires academic freedom.’
715. Alex Cameron – London College of Communications (UAL): ‘If there is anything I can do please let me know.’
714. Dr Arnaud Wisman – University of Kent
713: Prof. Saul Jacka – University of Warwick: ‘Graduate of the University of Cambridge’
712. Dr Marcia Gibson – University of Glasgow: ‘Graduate of the University of Glasgow’
711. Charlie Peters – Edinburgh University (Philosophy, 2019): ‘I stand with AFAF in its support for academic freedom.’
710. Graham King – Keble Coll., Oxford: ‘Sad that it should even be necessary to campaign for such fundamental freedoms.’
709. Michail Theodosiadis – Goldsmiths, University of London
708. Santos Mercado Reyes – UNIVERSIDAD AUTONOMA METROPOLITANA: ‘Las restricciones a la libertad académica tienen su origen en el control de la izquierda en casi todas las universidades y escuelas de América, incluyendo a los Estados Unidos. Los liberales descuidaron este campo y ahora es necesario dar la lucha de las ideas y recuperar esas trincheras. El primer paso es introducir el sistema del voucher, luego crear los sistemas de crédito para financiar a los jovenes de escasos recursos y, finalmente, transformar en propietarios a los profesores que laboran en la escuela o Universidad.’
707. Rodrigo Arturo Hernández Mijares – CETYS Universidad (Baja California, México): ‘Truth is our goal and Truth, as its natural, has always been under attack. Yet now the charge increasingly comes from within colleges and universities which are ever more dependent on public funds and politicians, who want to have their way using lobbies and interest groups to silence and cower away.’
706. Professor David Paton – Nottingham University Business School
705. Christopher Kerr – University of Cambridge
704. Luna Mandal – doctoral researcher, University of Derby
703. Folasade Lamikanra – doctoral researcher and author, University of Derby
702. Simpson Adesina – Student, University of Derby
701. Dr Daniel Madigan – York St John University
700. Dr Scott Buckler – University of Worcester
699. Michael Howard – PhD Student – Bangor University
698. Edgar Danielyan – University of Buckingham
697. Stephen Pax Leonard – University of Oxford: ‘Universities are collaborating with Far Left student activists, snooping on social media and e-mails, policing language and thought. We must stop censorship and preserve academic freedom at all costs.’
696. Neil Lyndom – Queens’ College, Cambridge
695. Master Maitreya Samyaksambuddha – United Buddhist Nations Organization: ‘I support your statement of academic freedom.’
694. Dr Maren Thom – Queen Mary University of London
693. Professor Andrew Tettenborn – Professor of Commercial Law, Swansea University
692. Dr Chris Bateman – University of Bolton: ‘Despite the UK priding itself on its world-class universities, our nation has one of the worst track records in Europe for academic freedom. What is the point of talk of ‘quality’ and ‘standards’ in higher education if our teaching institutions simultaneously cease to be universities by giving up the convivial free enquiry that the concept of a university was founded upon?’
691. Dr Chris Hill – University of Lancaster
690. Renzo Rosso – Politecnico di Milano: ‘I’m writing a book about academic freedom.’
689. Carl Rosa – Student, University of Derby: ‘I fully support free speech in almost all forms it can take short only of inciting violence or attempting to infringe upon anthers right to free speech and as such I fully support what I’ve seen of this initiative thus far. It is badly needed.’
688. Samvel Karabekyan – Yerevan State University: ‘I completely share the spirit and letter of the statement, and I am ready to contribute in the dissemination and implementation of the ideas of academic freedom.’
687. Guy du Plessis – Faculty at the School of Behavioral Sciences, California Southern University
686. James Keith – Postgraduate Student, University of Derby
685. Steve Thomas – Postgraduate Student, University of Leicester
684. Professor Michael Rainsborough – Department of War Studies, King’s College, University of London
683. Magdalene D’Silva – University of Tasmania, Faculty of Law
682. Professor Rob Singh – Professor of Politics, Birkbeck, University of London
681. Dr Jay Ginn – Associate, Centre for Research on Gender and Ageing, University of Surrey
680. Reece Garvie – formerly City of Glasgow College
679. Oliver Kraftman – University of Edinburgh
678. Jak Allen – University of Kent
677. Christopher J. Ingham, MA, PhD – University of Leeds
676. Adam Rodgers – Lancaster University: ‘I am a doctoral student in the social sciences, I feel really strongly that academic freedom must be upheld and developed so further opportunities to safeguard wider freedoms in society from the dominant neoliberal elites’.
675. Daniel Maxwell – Newcastle University
674. Julia Charlton – UCU Branch Chair, Northumbria University
673. Dr Muhammad Irfan – Assistant Professor, Department of Mass Communication, Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology, Pakistan
672. Dr Hugh Ortega Breton – University of York
671. Dr Max Visser – Associate Professor (Economics) Radboud University, Nijmegen: ‘Freedom of mind and speech are the first requirements of the academy without it, only tyranny remains’.
670. Dr Jill LeBihan – Head of Student Engagement, Sheffield Hallam University
669. Dr Charles Spring – University of Derby
668. Dr Robert Crowcroft – Lecturer in Contemporary History
School of History, Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh
667. Carmen Sanjulien – Dublin Business School and TCD: ‘Thanks for creating a platform like this one’.
666. Amy Thompson – St. Anne’s College, University of Oxford
665. Ruth Farrall-Hyder
664. David Franco – Rockefeller University (NYC), KUL (Catholic University Leuven), VUB (Free University Brussels) and SUNY (State University New York) branch in Stony Brook
663. Peter Crook – Bond University: ‘It is pity there is need but I gladly lend my support to a worthy cause and organization jointly established by my late lamented friend and supervisor, Roy Harris’.
662. Matt Sheard – Oxford Brookes University
661. Kate Phillips – University of Derby
660. Gill Anthony – Lecturer FdA Early Years Studies and Access to HE, New College Nottingham
659. Kulsoom Rehman – University of Derby
658. Lesley Hulonce – University of Swansea
657. Dave Lees – Senior Lecturer, Business, University of Derby: ‘Only by engaging in open debate and encouraging open minds have we any hope of preserving a decent, tolerant and welcoming society’.
656. Dr Catherine McCall – The Philosophy Doctor…’Freedom of Speech is the foundation of all freedoms’
655. Dr Miranda Dearing – Alumna, University of Brighton
654. Chris Alchin
653. Dr Vladimir A. Gorshkov-Contacuzere – Moscow State University and more
652. Amanda Stone – Alumna, Birmingham Polytechnic
651. Jacob Padget – University of Derby, student: ‘I am proud that you, Dennis Hayes, are a part of the University of Derby’
650. Anna Lukina – University of Oxford, student
649. Cenk Aygül – Atilim University
649. Elrica Degirman – University of Manchester, student
648. Stefan Hunt – Nottingham Trent University
647. Dr Tracey Wond – University of Derby
646. Joseph Mintz – Senior Lecturer, UCL Institute of Education
645. Matt Colborn – Alumnus, University of Birmingham
644. Professor Konstantinos Stergiou – Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
643. Thomas Gould – University of Bristol
642. Fraser Myers – King’s College, London
641. Tim Martin – Lecturer Design Tutor at City & Guilds Of London Art School…Formerly also: HoD Design Management & Communication at De Montfort University, Senior Lecturer Interdisciplinary Design & Electronic Imaging at Reading College and School of Arts & Design, and Berkshire College of Art & Design. Alumni of Royal College of Art, Greenwich University, Open University, Birmingham Polytechnic and Great Yarmouth College of Art & Design
640. James Robinson – University of Essex: ‘I find myself being told by my University, Essex that is, that I am ‘rebellious’ ‘radical’ and revolutionary’ because I attend lectures and speeches that the University has sanctioned. However, I feel myself conforming to their way of thinking, of their way of doing things. The Essex Student Union, for example, is a totally corrupt and misleading organisation – full of yes men and women who try and subtly place their way of thinking onto other students. I am not a rebel because I am told I am – the more I believe them the less it is true. Instead we find students protesting about insignificant things such as tuition fees: what happened to the days of protests concerning capitalism and the merits of socialism? I do not say I agree, but where are these protests none the less? Universities have moved away from theoretical knowledge, arguments and protests towards practical knowledge of how to get a job and conformity’.
639. Robin Oberg – Alumnus Lund University: ‘Without Freedom there can be no democracy’.
638. Rob McKay – Head of Corporate Programmes, Faculty of Business, Education and Law, Staffordshire University
637. Uma Desu – Childhood Development Education Researcher – CEO IntelliIndia
636.Christopher Lynch – University of Edinburgh
635. Dr Saladin Meckled-Garcia – University College London
634. Dr C. Suheyl Ozveron – President UCU Abertay Branch
633. Dr Karl Wilds – University of Nottingham
632. Professor Philippe A. Bopp – Université Bordeaux, France: ‘…and you may add that withholding funding or other kinds of financial pressure amounts to curbing academic freedom.’
631. Natalie Dinham LLB (Hons) – Princess Nora bint Abdul Rahman University, Saudi Arabia
630. Berat Celik – Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
629. Dr Matthew Guest -Durham University
628. Dr Niki Koutrou – University of Kent
627. Professor Michalis Lianos – University of Rouen, France
626. Dr Niall McCrae – Lecturer, King’s College London
625. Jamie Baker – Graduate (MA) University of Bristol
624. Anatolii Shvetcov – Professor of Vologda State University – Vo0logda Region Russian Federation
623. Dr Adrian Pablé – Assistant Professor, School of English at the University of Hong Kong: “One of my research interests is the question of ‘freedom of speech’ and ‘freedom of inquiry’ in academic linguistics and the right to ask any question in spite of whether the orthodoxy thinks these are ‘good’ or ‘bad’ questions.”
622. Edgar Haener – PhD Student, University of Manchester
621. Kim Shaw – University of Derby student/alumna
620. Pamela Bambrick – student, University of Brighton
619. Tim Bones – Programme Leader of BA (Hons) Graphic Design at K College (University of Kent)
618. Jon Orman -University of Cape Town, South Africa, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Linguistics
617. Gah-Kai Leung – University College London, PG student, University of Warwick Alumn
616. Nasir M. Baba, PhD – Department of Curriculum Studies and Educational Technology, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria.
615. Steven Haschke- Conservatorio Paganini, Genova, Italia
614. John Hutchinson – The Open University
613. Fiona Shelton – University of Derby
612. Peter Thomas – Paul Mellon Centre: ‘Unless we are all finished before we start, the only way the mind can prosper is through fortuitous collision’.
611. Adam Kissel – Former Vice-President of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), alumnus, Harvard University: ‘I am not sure these two principles are “the” foundation of academic freedom, but they are at the foundation’.
610. Christopher Beckett – alumnus, University of Liverpool
609. Denis Joe – Poet, alumnus, University of Leeds
608. Doris Mieschbuehler – alumna, The Open University
607. Steve Foulger – Middlesex Polytechnic Alumnus: ‘More than ever free expression has to be defended’.
606. Hellen Parra-Florez – PhD Research Student at The University of Manchester
605. Professor Jason Jacobs – University of Queensland
604. Pauline Hadaway – University of Manchester, post-graduate student: ‘More important than ever to defend academic freedom. No ifs, no buts’.
603. Professor David Sheffield – University of Derby
602. Dr Ruth Mieschbuehler – University of Derby, Alumna, London School of Economics
601. Jane Turner – The Manchester College, Alumna, The University of Liverpool
600. Josephine Hayes – Solicitor, Alumna, University of East Anglia
599. Dr Peter Lennox – Senior Lecturer in Perception and Engineering, University of Derby, UK: ‘Academics tend to be fundamentally libertarians. They think that individuals are of primary importance and therefore should not be subjugated by organisation, country, creed, town council. They are not normally ‘joiners’, since their thoughts, beliefs and morals are their own; they don’t do ‘groupthink’. They don’t “live the values”, nor believe what is currently in vogue. They don’t want to tell others what to do, nor be told by others. They think the world could do with a lot more thinking and a lot less gormless action. To each, his own.’
598. Professor Abdul Sattar Kassem: “I am a Palestinian university professor of political science at An-Najah National University in the west bank within the Palestinian Authority domain. I have been detained in jail for four days and stopped from teaching and stripped of my salary. This is because I wrote an article criticizing the president of the University for failing to abide by a high court ruling that ordered the return of four dismissed students to their study seats. I defended the court, but I ended in jail. I have to face trial Freedom in Palestine is lost. I am a full professor and have been teaching in this university for 31 years”.
597. David Lowry – Oklahoma Christian University, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
596. Dave Clements – University of East London Alumnus
595. Niall Crowley – University of Brighton Alumnus
594. Yasmin Anwar – University of Oxford Alumna
593. Mark Beachill – University of Sunderland
592. Simon Butt – University of Nottingham
591. Justin Kicullen-Nichols – University of Portsmouth Alumnus
590. Laura Rebollo-Neira – Mathematics Lecturer, Aston University: ‘Unrestricted freedom of speech, in any forum, is not only the right of academics but a human right. The right is not only of the individuals, to express their thoughts, but also of the humanity to receive them. Any attempt to restrict that communication is not only a crime against an individual but a crime against humanity’.
589. Aidan Campbell – Author, University of Kent Alumnus
588. Guy Aitchinson – University College London Alumnus
587. Professor Edward Chaney – Southampton Solent University
586. Manjit Kumar – Author (of many books including the best selling book Quantum)
585. Saima Yousef – University of East London Alumna
584. Dr Roba Alghabra – University of Liverpool Alumna
583. Dr Phil Henry – University of Derby
582. Mark Iddon – Urbanization; University of Brighton, Alumnus
581. Elena Fernandez – Asociación Cultural Kaori: ‘My professional role is biologist and teacher of African dance.’
580. Terri Ginsberg: ‘As you may know, I have been involved over the past three years in waging a lawsuit against North Carolina State University (NCSU). The lawsuit contests the University’s decision to dismiss me from my teaching position after it suppressed my speech and retaliated against me for my teaching and scholarship critical of Zionism and Israeli policy and supportive of the Palestinian liberation struggle. Since my dismissal from NCSU, I have sought redress from the University, first by exhausting all on-campus and local remedies, then by filing a constitutional lawsuit against NCSU and the larger University of North Carolina system of which it is a part. I am writing you today, with great appreciation for your prior support, to ask you once again to help me continue my struggle. My case has been long and arduous. As of this writing, its combined Record runs more than 500 pages. As outlined on my case blog (http://ginsbergvsncsu.wordpress.com), the lawsuit entered litigation in December 2009. In May 2010, the parties underwent a mediation hearing mandated by the State of North Carolina; the University offered me a ridiculously small sum and no reinstatement, whereupon no settlement was reached. A week of depositions followed. When the discovery period ended, the case underwent a Summary Judgment hearing on October 25, 2010, for which the case was dismissed summarily, perfunctorily, without reason; the judge, Shannon Joseph, simply issued a boilerplate “decision” that basically “just says, no.” In fact, NCSU admitted during deposition hearings that it suppressed my speech critical of Zionism and supportive of the Palestinian liberation struggle while I was under its employ as a visiting prof.’
579. Luke Martell – University of Sussex ‘See our campaign on academic freedom in the statutes at Sussex’: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/sos21/
578. Dr Alka Sehgal Cuthbert – Alumna, University of Cambridge: ‘Open public scrutiny is recognized as a necessary condition for the maintenance and development of knowledge; if we cannot defend this as a public good then it suggests that we are, by default, accepting both knowledge and culture being diminished, and very low expectations of ourselves and others.’
577. James Callender – London School of Economics & Political Science MSc Student
576. Mark Brady – Lecturer in Economics, Department of Economics, San Jose State University, CA
575. Peter Lloyd: ‘I am not an academic but fully support free speech and the freedom to challenge received wisdom in the academic world. That academic world should be proud of academic freedom and see it as a pre-requisite for human progress in the modern world.’
574. Ariadne Remoundakis: ‘I like speech, especially when its free’
573. Gavin Bradshaw – Senior lecturer in Conflict Transformation and Management in the Department of Political and Governmental Studies at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
572. Abdullahi Aliyu – Aminu Kano College of Islamic and Legal Studies, Kano-Nigeria. Lecturer: Hausa Language
571. Adam Hawken – Research student, University College London
570. Umar Datti – Aminu Kano College of Islamic and Legal Studies. Lecturer in Islamic Law
569. Zhongyi Xiao: ‘Academic freedom is never cheap, but desire for it is a life-time pursuit’
568. Malcolm Brown – University of Southern Queensland, Australia. Senior Lecturer (Social Science)
567. Aleksander Jakobson – University of Tartu, Estonia: ‘As the Chairman of the Faculty Association I fully support the Statement’.
566. Professor Susan Hogan – University of Derby: ‘There is no justification for present existence than its expansion into an indefinitely open future. Every time transcendence falls back into immanence, stagnation, there is a degradation of existence into ‘en-soi’ – the brutish life of subjection to given conditions’ (Simone de Beauvoir).
565. Carlton McDonald – University of Derby, Senior Lecturer in Computing
564. Eleni Tracada – University of Derby, Senior Lecturer in the Built Environment (Architecture): ‘I agree and sign this statement as it is; I have nothing to add to it.’
563. Danny Pullan – Student, University of Derby
562. Chris Jury – Senior Lecturer Bath Spa University
561. Professor Simona Strnad – University of Maribor, Slovenia Assoc.
560. Dr Stewart Davidson – Lecturer in Politics, Glasgow Caledonian University
559. Alf Nilsen – Department of Sociology, University of Bergen. Postdoctoral Researcher ‘At a time when the powers that be are increasingly constraining democratic spaces and civil liberties in the face of popular discontent, academic freedom is ever more precious and its defence ever more necessary.’
558. Peter Revill – University of Derby
557. Marion Vivien – London College of Communication
556. Richard Sullivan – Illinois Sate University
555. Michael Mills -University of Kent
554. Lucy Allen – University of Oxford
553. Luke Shaw – University College London
552. Ed Noel – University of St Andrews
551. Abdullahi Aliyu – Institution: Aminu Kano College of Islamic and Legal Studies, Kano-Nigeria. Lecturer: Hausa Language: ‘Hi, my attention was drawn to this forum through the DOHA Debate: please sign me in. This is the place where I belong.’
550. Hamish Murphy: ‘I am branch chair of UCU at Glyndwr University, Wrexham. I published a trade union newsletter that alleged that the University’s property was being misused for sexual liaisons. The university dismissed me. I am awaiting a date for an Employment Tribunal.’
549. Simon Bignell – University of Derby – Lecturer in Psychology: “The world is like a ride in an amusement park, and when you choose to go on it you think it’s real because that’s how powerful our minds are. The ride goes up and down, around and around, it has thrills and chills, and it’s very brightly coloured, and it’s very loud, and it’s fun for a while. Many people have been on the ride a long time, and they begin to wonder, “Hey, is this real, or is this just a ride?” And other people have remembered, and they come back to us and say, “Hey, don’t worry; don’t be afraid, ever. Because this is just a ride.” And we…kill those people. “Shut him up! I’ve got a lot invested in this ride, shut him up! Look at my furrows of worry, look at my big bank account, and my family. This has to be real.” It’s just a ride. But we always kill the good guys who try and tell us that, you ever notice that? And let the demons run amok? But it doesn’t matter, because it’s just a ride. And we can change it any time we want. It’s only a choice. No effort, not work, no job, no savings of money. Just a simple choice, right now, between fear and love. The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your doors, buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love instead see all of us as one. Here’s what we can do to change the world, right now, to a better ride. Take all that money we spend on weapons and defences each year and instead spend it feeding and clothing and educating the poor of the world, which it would pay for many times over, not one human being excluded, and we could explore space, together, both inner and outer, forever, in peace.” Bill Hicks
548. Alexandre Borovik – Professor of Pure Mathematics, University of Manchester
547. Joel Cohen – SOAS, student: ‘The right to question without barriers is the preserve of everyone. It is the cornerstone of academic inquiry. Without it the university is just another government soapbox, unable to fully enlighten those who participate in it.’
546. Matt Chew – Graduate student, SOAS: ‘I was under the impression that this was a given in Britain, and that that sort of crap only happened in such bastions of democracy like America. I was clearly wrong.’
545. Mike Cushman – Secretary LSE UCU branch: ‘Academic freedom is also about the liberty to pursue unorthodox and critical research directions and methodologies. The REF is a framework to discourage such critical thinking.’
544. Prof. Michael Mills – Psychology Department, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA, USA
543. Christopher Talbot, alumnus, University of Wolverhampton
542. Joshua McGuire: ‘I attend the University of Nevada, Reno. I am a Mechanical Engineering student. I believe that it is the role of universities to promote the idea of free thinking, to allow all students and teachers to voice their ideas freely so that they may truly grow in knowledge’
541. Neetish Madan – alumnus, University of Derby: ‘I shall be interested in helping in the development of AFAF’.
540. Puni Selvaratnam – Sri Lanka: ‘Erosion of Academic Freedom We Women for Justice and Peace wish to bring the press release (9 June 2011) by Friday Forum (of Sri Lanka) on the Leadership Training for University Entrants. Sanjana Hattotuwa is the web-editor and Controller ofwww.groundviews.org and in the staff of Centre for Policy Alternatives (of Sri Lanka). After the armed struggle by ethnic minorities for justice was crushed two years ago the Executive President is increasingly subjugating the ethnic minorities and all dissident voices from the ethnic majority criticising the government is being muffled by increasing brutality. Clamping down on academic freedom is a way of control ling dissent from the educated youth. Protests by university students have also been attacked by armed forces recently. The Northeast, traditional homeland of ethnic minorities, has been under brutal military control and last week a peaceful meeting by Tamil parliamentarians in the Northeast was under very heavy attack by the army. A report (January 2011) by Minority Rights Group International cites the important articles in international human rights instruments violated in the case of ethnic minorities in Sri Lanka. Many western academics have been saying that Sri Lanka has been a case of internal colonialism from the time of ‘independence’ from external colonialism in 1948. On 14 June Channel4 screened Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields on 14 June whose premiere was shown at UNHRC, Geneva on 3 June. Please raise your voice for the Academic Freedom of Universities and justice and rights for the ethnic minorities in Sri Lanka’.
539. Dmitri Makarov: ‘For a global student movement for freedom in and outside of universities. On behalf of the International Network for Student Rights’ (www.students.yhrm.org)
538. Maurice Fermont: ‘As a current student and perhaps future academic, I realise the importance of academic freedom since this is perhaps the highest, most intellectual, and virtuous form of freedom of speech that exists.’
537. David Radlett – ‘Old Age Contrarian’ University of Kent
536. Elizabeth Efimova – European Humanity University, magistry programm “Public Policy”, Vilnius
535. Mikhail Matusevich – Belarusian State University of Culture and Arts (student)
534. Alexandra Koshkarova – Petrozavodsks State University, Historian Human Rights Movement, Karelian Center of Volunteering Development
533. Harry Gijbels – Senior Lecturer Mental Health Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, University College Cork Ireland
532. Annie Haight – Oxford Brookes University: ‘I uphold the right of academics in all disciplines to assert and discuss controversial positions – including the right to critique those of others – without formal institutional or governmental reprisals. I also believe this entails a concomitant responsibility on academics to speak out when others put forward harmful, false, or anti-humane positions under the protection of academic freedom.’
531. Dr Alex Gordon (British academic) – Visiting Scholar, University of San Carlos, Cebu, Philippines 6000
530. Emma Wallace – Caloundra Private Hospital
529. John Belcher – Queen Mary College (University of London) and University of Westminster, retired
528. Gavin Bradshaw – Senior lecturer in Conflict Transformation and Management in the Department of Political and Governmental Studies at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
527. Dr Michael Ladomery – Reader, Associate Professor in Biomedical Science, University of the West of England: ‘I believe quite firmly that the purpose of Universities is to further knowledge – i.e. education, and most definitely social engineering. Our top duty as academics is to make sure that standards are kept up: out of respect of the professions and of the students themselves! Resources and efforts should focus on improving access to excellent primary and secondary education’.
526. Robert Bosco – Centre College, Danville KY, USA
525. Professor John Tooby – Department of Anthropology, Co-Director, Center for Evolutionary Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara
524. Barbara Weightman – University of Glasgow, Effective Learning Adviser for Faculty of Law, Business and Social Sciences/College of Social Sciences
523. Ganesan Kannuchamy – ‘In a world much controlled by the raise of voice I wish to remain calm and keep protesting for Academic Freedom. Let my mind speak LOUDER than my mouth. Let Freedom of Expression prevail. Children’s Author’
522. Dr David Beecham – Coventry University, Post Doctoral Research Assistant
521. Klaus Knoll – Co-director, Transart Institute
520. Julian Sidoli del Ceno – Birmingham City University: ‘He who is wedded to the spirit of the age is tomorrow widowed.’
519. Jan Olof Bengtsson – Lund University, Sweden
518. Mark Maxwell – University of Liverpool, alumnus
517. Andrew Cox, alumnus, University of Exeter
516. Rob Spence – Associate Head of the Department of English and History, Edge Hill University: ‘Unless freedom is exercised and defended in practise, it cannot be guaranteed in law or constitution. Those whose freedoms are under attack, need, at that very moment, the most solid support of all citizens of freedom’
515. Alexander Belton – Lecturer in Pure Mathematics, Lancaster University
514. Alexandra Graff – ‘I am an alumna of Dixie State College and The Fashion Institute of Design, and I believe that it is sad that we require a group and a petition like this. We should have the academic freedom to question everything and anything, proven or not.’
513. Professor Brian Winston – The Lincoln Professor, University of Lincoln
512. Jonathan Barnes – Canterbury Christ Church University
511. Laura Green – University of Liverpool, postgraduate research student
510. Joe Flintham – Senior Lecturer in Interactive Media Theory, Bournemouth University
509. Dr Catherine McCall – University of Strathclyde: ‘I am a former academic philosopher, current President of SOPHIA: The European Foundation for Philosophy with Children, current Director of the Strathclyde univesity Certificate of Professional Development in CoPI, current Visiting Lecturer in Strathclyde University Postgraduate Certificate in Philosophy with Children, current Philosophy Consultant for East Renfrewshire Dept of Education, and independent consultant/trainer. I work with children, teenagers and adults of all backgrounds and abilities to enable them to think both rigorously and independently. Academic freedom, freedom of speech and thought, and independent thinking have been my lifelong passion.’
508. Professor Luis Goddyn: ‘As a professor at Simon Fraser University, I strongly support the statement.’
507. Zane Ma Rhea – Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Education, Monash University
506. Daniel Le Heron – Lecturer in Geology Royal Holloway University of London: ‘I agree with the essence of this campaign, but do not see academic freedom as a mandate to be hurtful or abusive.’
505. Dr Andrew Wilson – Nottingham Trent University: ‘I trust this statement applies to the way the notion of ‘ethical’ has been extended to produce a barrier to the freedom to question.’
504. Azeem Ibrahim – University of Cambridge Doctoral Researcher
503. Dr Dana Rosenfeld – Royal Holloway, University of London
502. Cyril Alekseev – Department of Physics, Loughborough University, UK
501. Peter Anderson – PhD Candidate, Monash University
500. Claire Creagh – Durham University, student
499. Richard Scott-Jones – MSc student, London School of Economics
498. Tor Syvertsen – Professor, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
497. David Jackson – University of Western Ontario
496. Niamh Sweeney – Cambridge Regional College
495. Nasima Hassan – University of East London
494. Dr Glenn Rikowski – University of Northampton
493. Edward Simon – Carnegie Mellon
492. George Hoare – University of Oxford
491. Johannes Tynes – London School of Economics
490. Stéphanie Lecesne – Institut International des Droits de I’Homme et de la Paix, Alumna – Université de Caen
489. Jenny Thompson – University of Derby
488. Deborah Hussain – University of Derby
487. Professor William Gibson- Oxford Brookes University
486. Sean Smythe – University of Nottingham
485. Tami Peterson – Birkbeck College
484. Ashley Frawley – University of Kent
483. Dylan Evans – University College Cork
482. Iain MacKenzie – University of Kent
481. Alexandre Christoyannoppulos – University of Kent
480. Ryan Hardy – McMasters, Grad Student
479. Nick Swarbrick – Oxford Brookes University
478. Aaron Butterfield – University of Oxford
477. Frankie Anderson – University of Nottingham
476. Liz Botterill – University of East Anglia
475. Phillip Nicholls – University of Bristol
474. Graham Todd – University of Kent
473. Georgia Tsouvala – Illinois State
472. Linda Murdoch – University of Glasgow
471. Suzanne Farmer – Ole Miss. Grad School
470. Lizzie Pallett – Canterbury Christ Church University
469. Charles Lambert – University of East Anglia
468. Aisling Carlson – Trinity College Dublin
467. Hazel Stroud – SOAS
466. Dr Viv Walkup – University of Derby
465. Matthew Kennedy – University of Oxford
464. Lori Riverstone-Newell – University of Tennessee Alum
463. Dora Meade – University of Leeds
462. Liza Griffin – University of Westminster
461. Jessica Ringrose – Institute of Education, University of London
460. John Gimbel – University of Alaska Fairbanks
459. Pamela McWherter – University of Alaska Fairbanks
458. Timothy David Ritchie – University of Limerick
457. Sarah Emily – Birkbeck College
456. Beuys Owen – Alumnus – MA, International Studies, Univerzita Prague
455. Ingrida Kerusauskatie – SOAS
454. Xymena Kurowska – European University Institute
453. Cam Hardy – University of Toronto
452. Suzanne Bowen: ‘Postdoctoral Researcher Confidential references supplied for academic positions are mostly fair and accurate portrayals of the individual concerned but unfortunately this is not always the case. Sometimes confidential references contain personal information or misleading statements. Even worse, they can take the form of a vindictive attack against a particular individual for following an institution’s policies or exercising their legal rights. The majority of individuals take over seven years to acquire the skills and qualifications to apply for research/academic positions; a substantial investment in time and resources for the researcher/academic, Universities and the government. All of this can be obliterated by inaccurate or misleading information in a reference. Please sign a petition at http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/ConfidentialRefs/ requesting that the government give an individual the right to see and, thereby, an opportunity to comment on a reference used to select them for an academic/research position. Many thanks’.
451. Dr Jim Tate – University of the West of England, Aimhigher Researcher
450. Christopher Townsend – Holloway, University of London, Professor, Dept of Media
449. Roger Whitson – Georgia Institute of Technology, Postdoctoral Fellow
448. Cathy M. Hodgson – Ed. D., LPC: ‘As both a retired educator in higher education and a current therapist, I support free speech as a means of continuing the growth of thought and the right of all to expand our country’s diversity. Disallowing speech is not just a constitutional issue, but one which undergirds our greatness and future’
447. Tracey O’Neill – Queens University Belfast, Public Health Researcher: ‘I believe very much in the principles of AFAF. I recently had had an issue with a boss at another institute (not academic) who was restricting my academic freedom and dictating how I should work. It was very timely, and I am happy I discovered this site!’
446. Paul Graham – Senior Lecturer (in Political Theory) Department of Politics, University of Glasgow
445. Rob Harris – St Mary’s University College Post-graduate student: ‘Universities are our intellectual laboratories, in which no idea should be deemed too crazy to test. Indeed, many of the ideas we base our current society on were only developed through the imaginations of free-thinking individuals who were prepared to go against the grain’
444. Basil Venitis – Professor, University of Indianapolis, Athens, Greece: ‘Academicfreedom is the unrestrained expression of new professorial ideas. The Bureau of Colleges of Greece is the most disgusting stupid bureaucratic organization on Earth, which terrorizes excellent professors. There is no direct relationship between education and schooling. You might be schooled but uneducated, and you might be educated but unschooled. Schools are concentration camps for the drones of society. Internet is the best source of knowledge and information, replacing schools, libraries, parliaments, and post office’.
443. Elisabeth Simbuerger – University of Warwick
442. Dr. Stefan Slater – University of London
441. Glynne Williams – University of Leicester
440. Vinay Kumar – JUIT, Asst. Prof.
439. Mizz Erikitikiti Gongi – Warwick University
438. Christine Karatnytsky – Scripts Librarian, The Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library: ‘While I do not speak in an official capacity for my institution, it is self-evident that libraries are an inherent component of open, democratic societies. I am pleased to sign the statement’.
437. Mark Wanstall – Leeds Beckett University: ‘I wish to confirm that I believe the following two principles to be the foundation of academic freedom:
436. Gillian Howie – University of Liverpool
435. Paul Newton – BA (Ed) student, Sunderland University/Bishop Auckland College ‘Thanks to my inspiring mum who as a single parent of two, took me and my sister to CND marches, Greenpeace rallies and Miner’s picket lines during the strikes of the 80’s. This experience smashed together with a poor comprehensive school education in South Shields spat out a confused but enquiring teenager with very few qualifications. My enquiring mind has thrown me from jobs such as retail management to sole trader of a plumbing company picking up occupational qualifications on the way and through that I have learned much about people. I lecture in a maximum security prison now and my inspiration continues to flow from my lecturers and my research through my university work. Freedom and sensibility forever! ‘
434. Ronan McFadden – MA student, University College London
433. Josephine Hussey – Anglia Ruskin University
432. Stephanie Oprandi M.Ed. – Kent State University, USA
431. Jay Jina, Open University
430. Donald J. Murray – Western Illinois University, Faculty – WESL Department
429. Mike Logan – Northampton Community College, Adjunct Professor Humanities/English: ‘Thanks for creating this group of academic freedom fighters’.
428. John K. Wilson Ph.D. – student, Illinois State University Founder, Institute for College Freedom, www.collegefreedom.org, collegefreedom.blogspot.com author, Patriotic Correctness: Academic Freedom and Its Enemies (Paradigm Publishers, 2008)
427. Dr Joel Nathan Rosen – Assistant Professor of Sociology Moravian College Bethlehem, PA
426. Kenan Malik – Author and Senior Visiting Fellow, Department of Political International and Policy Studies, University of Surrey
425. Yoana Dimittrova – University College London
424. Souad Rahmouni – Université de Liege
423. Alison Small – Bulmershe College, Alumna
422. Tom Pegram – University of Oxford, Alumnus
421. Jerome Bauer – Washington University in St. Louis, Webster University
420. Ian Grigg-Spall – University of Kent
419. Susanna Recchia – University of Central Lancashire Alumnus
418. Monty Katzman – University of Sheffield
417. Dan Godston – Snow City Arts Foundation, Mills College Alumnus
416. Prof Carson Bizon: ‘Basic Research in and of itself increases our chance of survival in this evolutionary process. Superstition and politicians have no right to impose on scientific research. Politicians have a responsibility to promote scientific discovery in the pursuit of Truth’.
415. Anna Catherine Hickey-Moody – University of Sydney Australia
414. Dr Susannah Wright – Oxford Brookes University
413. Yalç Haydn – University of Hacettepe, Ankara
412. Dr. Nikolaus Unger – University of Warwick
411. Bernadette Whelan – PGCE Student, University of London, Institute of Education
410. Courtney Hamilton – UAL London College of Communication
409. Janet Low – Imperial College Alumnus (Organiser of a ‘scratch club’ at ‘The Bentham’ pub, near University College London, for reading and talking in a sociable way about ideas of great import.) “the tongueless man gets his land took” Cornish: Mes den hep tavas a-gollas y dyr found in Tony Harrison’s poem ‘National Trust’.
408. Michele Ledda – Leeds University, Alumnus
407. Nico McDonald – Writer and researcher, London
406. Robert Fletcher – Software Developer, Wolverhampton, Essex, Goldsmiths & New School alumnus
405. Robert Hennecke – McGill, Alumnus
404. Dr Malcolm Brown – University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia
403. Louise Downe – Goldsmiths College, University of London
402. Dr Cheryl Hudson – Rothermere Institute, University of Oxford & Vanderbilt University
401. Mariam Labban – American University of Beirut
400. Luke Ewart – Canterbury Christ Church University
399. Zuzanna Kobrzynski – New York University, Alumnus
398. Sheena Wagstaff – University of Oxford, DPhil candidate: ‘A fundamental requirement for the expansion of existing and the creation of value free knowledge’
397. Dan Blood – Canterbury Christ Church University
396. Paul Stephens – Canterbury Christ Church University
395. Saad Pathan – University of Oxford, Alumnus
394. Jack McGinn – University of Oxford
393. Varya Meruzhanyan – London School of Economics
392. Michael Foster – University of Nottingham
391. Donna Harrison – University of Lancaster
390. Ivan Pregnolato – University of Nottingham
389. Johanna Bartley – Ohio Dominican University
388. Dr. Nikolaos Diamantis – School of Mathematical Sciences University of Nottingham
387. Dr. David Erdos – Balliol College, Oxford
386. De Villiers Neethlin – University of Pretoria: ‘Academic freedom should be advocated and not oppressed by a university Academic freedom means you and I both matter. A free society is one where it is safe to be unpopular.’ Adlai Stevenson
385. Gunes Taylor – University of Nottingham
384. Georgie Day – University of Oxford
383. Rania Hafez – University of East London
382. Sharon Rider – Senior Lecturer, Philosophy, Uppsala University
381. Dr Jon Pike – Department of Philosophy The Open University
380. Dr Jimmy Donaghey – Queen’s University Belfast: ‘It is the duty of academics to challenge views with which they disagree with evidence: it should be alien to academia to try to muzzle those espousing controversial views’.
379. Ewart Shaw – Associate Professor University of Warwick
378. Laura Green – University of Liverpool
377. Vivienne Boon – University of Surrey
376. Dr Liz Guy – Senior Lecturer + Senior Research Fellow School of Computing, Mathematical and Information Sciences, University of Brighton
375. Simon Hughes – Canterbury Christ Church University
374. David Stoker – University of Sussex
373. Caroline Magennis – Queen’s University Belfast
372. Alex Hochuli – London School of Economics
371. Bryn Gough – University of Birmingham
370. Tim Marham – Birkbeck College University of London
369. Dr Bettina Renz – University of Nottingham
368. Luke Gittos – University of Sussex
367. Jean-Marc Jones – Student,University Of Sussex
366. Jonathan Quass – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY
365. Eline Van Asperen – University of York
364. Phil Walker – University of York
363. Professor Reinhold Behringer – Leeds Metropolitan University: ‘This academic freedom extends not only to speech and opinion, but also to R&D activities. Being an academic is a role in which the person bears full responsibility for his/her actions, answering only to the own conscience – no bureaucracy can take that away.’
362. Jonathan Willis – University of Warwick
361. Dr Pascale Duhamel – University of Toronto
360. Caroline Proctor – University of Warwick
359. Nick Unger – University of Warwick
358. Thomas McCarthy – University of Toronto
357. Katie Stevenson – University of St Andrews
356. Martin Adams – Trinity College Dublin
355. Professor Jon Davison – Canterbury Christ Church University
354. Patrick Seth Williams – Missouri State
353. Patrick Hayes – Henley Management Centre
352. John K Wilson – Illinois State
351. David Cerniglia – Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
350. Dr Mette Miriam Rakel Boll – School of Education University of Aarhus Denmark
349. Albert Fenton – Cambridge University
348. Claire Fox – Director, Institute of Ideas
347. Ronaldo Morelos – Univeristy of Western Sydney
346. Slava Sobkov – Columbia College, NY
345. Afaf Ibraheen – Harvard University
344. Henrik Nielson – Technical University of Denmark
343. Philip Sayce – Lecturer, Cardiff University
342. Dr Stephen Bax – Department of English and language Studies, Canterbury Christ Church University
341. Claus Emmeche – Centre director, Center for the Philosophy of Nature and Science Studies, University of Copenhagen
340. Stacie Hanes – Kent State
339. Dr Simon Newman – Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Westminster
338. Dr Lee Marsden – Political, Social and International Studies, University of East Anglia Norwich
337. Charlynne Pullen – Post Grad Open University
336. Chris Pawson – University of East London
335. Dr Sonja Boehmer-Christiansen – Reader in Geography, University of Hull
334. Mike Hesketh – (Post Grad) UCLAN
333. Richard Hayward – Canterbury Christ Church University
332. J. J. Charlesworth – Royal College of Art London
331. Professor Peter Sammonds – University College London
330. Hugh Ortega Breton – PhD Candidate, Roehampton University
329. Ian Jasper – Canterbury Christ Church University: ‘I am not entirely sure of the wording but would nevertheless like to sign the petition’.
328. Dr Caroline MacAfee – Honorary fellow, University of Aberdeen: ‘A! Fredome is a noble thing! Fredome mays man to haiff liking; Fredome all solace to man giffis, He levys at ese that frely levys! A noble hart may haiff nane ese, Na ellys nocht that may him plese, Gyff fredome fail (Barbour, The Bruce)’
327. Dr Helene Guldberg – Open University
326. Dr Dave Bennett – Canterbury Christ Church University
325. Fatima Ahad – Middlesex University
324. Neil Davenport – Hammersmith and West London College
323. Dr Francesca Recchia – Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Bartlett School of Planning, University College London, Cà Foscari University (Venice)
322. Dr Andrew M. Butler – Canterbury Christ Church University
321. Alan Meades – Canterbury Christ Church University
320. Dominic Standish – University of Kansas/CIMBA Adjunct Professor, CIMBA campus in Asolo, Italy
319. Dr James Heartfield – University of Westminster
318. Nick Owen – Post Grad, University of Hull
317. Jon Bryan – Newcastle College
316. Ms R A Hurst – Departmental Administrator, UCL
315. Sean Bell – MA in Journalism and Society at University of East London. Secretary of the The Brighton Salon: www.thebrightonsalonarena.com Bell: ’I support the AFAF statement and will encourage my fellow students and our lecturers to do the same.’
314. Dr Tiffany Jenkins – post grad University of Kent at Canterbury
313. Sara Hinchliffe – University of Sussex
312. Dr Steve Macek – Nort Central College, Naperville, IL USA
311. Professor John Fitzpatrick – Director, Kent Law Clinic, University of Kent, Canterbury
310. Damian Warbuton – Lecturer of Criminal Law, University of the West of England
309. Peter Waterman – Institute of Social Studies, The Hague: ‘I want to endorse this statement but also to see it extended. This is because the enemy of academic freedom today is increasingly capital/commodification as well as the state/surveillance/repression. As a retired academic I am aware as never before of the price of knowledge. In my case, with decreasing access to institutional computer access, this relates particularly to books, journals and web publications. Whereas traditionally commodification of published knowledge might have applied primarily to books, today even ‘left’ and ‘critical’ journals are commonly accessible – at considerable cost – only from their commercial publishers. There is here another aspect, one of academic responsibility. Whereas a statement of political rights could be understood as representing corporative self-interest, extending the issue to that of the social role of the academic refers to a sense of public responsibility. So I think we need to address our putative public and refer to knowledge production as a public good or intellectual common. Our present audience or readership is restricted to those who can afford it. This excludes the relatively poor – something of which a now-global public cannot but become increasingly aware. I am not necessarily saying that all the knowledge produced by our academic role and privilege should be free. But I am suggesting that rights imply responsibilities, and we both need to, and can strengthen our case, by reference to such responsibilities. Today the web makes it increasingly possible to cut out or circumvent the increasingly multinational publishing corporation. Or at very least to fight for two or more forms of public access to our products. I have not expressed this in terms of an additional clause and am not sure I am qualified to do so. But the matter deserves discussion.’
308. Cleo Cameron – University of Northampton: ‘Academic freedom should be paramount in all academic institutions-the only way things change in society is by being able to voice (write/publish) one’s opinions and ideas. Everyone should be educated in being able to recognize all sides of the debate in all matters up for discussion so that the individual can come to his/her own informed, rational and reasoned opinion.’
307. Dr. Nat M. Queen – University of Birmingham, UK
306. Sal Fiore – (formerly University of Wolverhampton): ‘I believe passionately in freedom of speech and thought and understand that this should be part of my teaching and student development. There are universities in which it is possible to express one’s judgment and debate without the fear of being persecuted. This is not the case for all universities and their employees, as I know to my cost. If my dismissal can be of any value, perhaps it will serve to reflect on it and call for more spontaneous democratic activism to protect freedom of expression throughout the entire HE sector. ‘For background to this statement see ‘When firing off can get you fired’ by Phil Baty and Tony Tysome in the THES: http://www.thes.co.uk/search/story.aspx?story_id=2036721
305. Rachel Shanks – Centre for Lifelong Learning, University of Aberdeen
304. B. Najak – Durham University, Durham, England: ‘I strongly support academic freedom as outlined.’
303. Danny Lake – BSc Politics with Economics, University of Bath
302. Rayya Ghu – Senior Lecturer, Canterbury Christ Church University
301. David Kirby – George Mason University
300. Sune Auken – University of Copenhagen
299. Geoffrey Sampson, Professor of Natural Language Computing, Sussex University: ‘Free speech on condition that no-one could possibly be offended is not free speech’.
298. Professor Andrew Blake – University of East London: ‘Can someone please tell the PC lobby that no, they don’t have the right not to be offended!’
297. Dr Sarah Goode – Senior Lecturer, University of Winchester:‘ I’m a bit of a fieldmouse, myself. People strongly disagreeing with me tend to make me feel uncomfortable, intimidated, humiliated, vulnerable, anxious, sick with fear … I certainly understand why any of us, including academics, may choose to avoid speaking truth to power – or speaking truth at all. In addition, with some particular issues (sex, religion, ‘race’), our institutions may suffer from ‘tabloidophobia’ (“for God’s sake, don’t let the News of the World get hold of this!”) – that again is a very big incentive to ‘self-censorship’. But we must have the freedom to think, to question, to research, to discuss openly, to challenge and, where necessary, to disagree with and offend received wisdom, whether with students, colleagues, particular interest groups, or the wider public. It is robust debate that is important in the final analysis, if truth is to be defended.’
296. John Lockwood – Humanities Faculty Head, Chiang Mai International School, Thailand
295. Yvonne Aburrow – University of Bath: ‘I support academic freedom and freedom of speech in general’.
294. Professor Brenda Almond – Emeritus Professor of Moral and Social Philosophy, University of Hull: ‘I should be very happy to go beyond this to urge a return to freedom of speech and freedom of thought for everyone.’
293. Dr Carol Precious – Alumna, Institute of Education, University of London,
292. Dr Andrew King – Canterbury Christ Church University
291. Donna M. Chirico – Associate Professor in Psychology, York College of The City University of New York: ‘The problem is no better in the United States.’
290. Sarah Williams – Learning Support Tutor Cumbria Institute of the Arts
289. Martin Findell – Research Student, School of English, University of Nottingham
288. Dr Ruth Rogers – Canterbury Christ Church University
287. Elaine Funnell – Emeritus Professor Royal Holloway University of London
286. Ralph Leighton – Senior Lecturer in Education, Course Leader – PGCE Citizenship, Canterbury Christ Church University
285. Dr Andrew M Butler – Canterbury Christ Church University
284. David Smith, Professor Emeritus of Pharmacology, University of Oxford: ‘The statement should be self-evident and, if anyone in a university questions it, then they should not belong.’
283. Professor Georges Dussart – Canterbury Christ Church University
282. Ciaran Driver – Professor of Economics, Tanaka Business School, Imperial College University of London: ‘This statement is a welcome counterweight to the erosion of academic voice’.
281. Diganta B Das – Oxford University
280. Dr R M MacCallum – Imperial College London
279. Dave Pickup – Senior Lecturer, Canterbury Christ Church University
278. Andrew Linzey – The Revd Professor Andrew Linzey, PhD, DD Director of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, Member of the Faculty of Theology, University of Oxford and Honorary Professor in Theology, University of Birmingham.
277. D. Stoker – University of Sussex: ‘As a debating society president and student at a historically “radical” university, I cannot underline strongly enough the importance of challenging undergraduates both intellectually and ideologically during the learning process. We already have to compete with widespread apathy, brought on in part by the increasing redefinition of student as consumer, and staff censorship of any kind will only exasperate this process. It’s dynamic lecturers who make these communities what they are, and any agenda pushing conformity (often justified as protecting the “brand” of an institution) should be met with the utmost suspicion.’
276. Professor Matt McCormick – Department of Philosophy, California State University, Sacramento, California
275. Professor Jonathan Parker – Bournemouth University
274. Clive Simpson – London South Bank University
273. Dr Greg Garrard – National Teaching Fellow, Bath Spa University: ’Students must – among many other things – be taught the difference between critique of ideas and mere personal attack or humiliation. Academics must be free to interrogate beliefs (however deeply held) fearlessly, even as all staff and students are protected from individualised harassment. It is essential to proclaim and guard both principles with equal vigour. Risk-averse institutions and bureaucrats recognise only the second because no-one was ever sued for excessive timidity or conformity’
272. Michael L. Bentley – EdD Associate Professor, Science Education (retired) University of Tennesee Knoxville, Tennessee USA
271. Dr John Hagge – Department of English, Iowa State University
270. Alan Tezza: ‘I am a New Zealander, and I have been teaching English at universities in Korea for the past 12 years, and while I don’t consider English instruction to be particularly academic, I do understand the academic process (to a Master’s degree level). I find it quite ironic that here in Korea we have relative freedom in the classroom, and Koreans are becoming freer by the day; whereas, western people, the so-called creators of freedom, are becoming more and more restricted. Having said that, English Departments here that have a strong western influence, are also falling to political correctness. Yes, the politically correct who have been controlling western universities for decades are now spreading their wings. As my concern over political correctness has become very strong in recent years, I have now created my own website dedicated to the subject: http://www.friedbrains.com
269. Dr Robert Eric Swanepoel – Writer and Author of Saving the World and Being Happy (The Computer Ager): ‘I support the right to free speech but think it important that this is discussed within the context of the control and manipulation of the media by big-money interests. I believe that most intelligent people investigating this subject would come to the conclusion that such links are probably the single-most important threat to democracy and free speech. To call for free speech while remaining silent on how the cabal of Murdoch/Exxon-Mobil/BAE/Blair/Bush has systematically manipulated public opinion is, arguably, negligent. Of course, if you spoke out in this way you would then be in conflict with the “big boys” and would risk your funding being cut, but I hope that you and others will have the courage to speak out in this way’.
267. John N Duffy – 1st year Chemical Engineering student, University of Strathclyde
268. Dave Guppy – Information Systems Department University College London
266. Gary Byrne – Open University student, Birmingham
265. Anthony Munro – University of Strathclyde ‘I’m not an academic, but merely a part-time law student (of the mature variety) at the University of Strathclyde: ‘I believe this petition is very important. If we allow comment or research or argument to be curbed purely on the basis that someone may find it offensive, then we move back intellectually to the dark ages. Rationality is relegated behind the subjective opinion or impression of some other person, or what the state deems some other person may find offensive. And because this is subjective, it need never be justified or indeed even made known. We would all need to become mind readers! This allows completely irrational arbitrariness to prevail at the expense of reason. Someone may be offended, but they may be irrational in taking offence. Or they may take offence but the offence given may be entirely justified. Without being allowed to give the offence in the first place, without fear of sanction, it can never be justified’.
264. Alan Bainbridge – Faculty of Education Canterbury Christ Church University
263. Dr John Cornwall – Canterbury Christ Church University. ‘In the age-old tradition of what used to be ‘Speaker’s Corner’ in Hyde Park, everyone has a right to free speech. This is not restricted to academics but could be led by them. This pre-supposes that other persons have the right and ability to disagree and engage in debate. Through this debate we hope to achieve understanding. Whilst I agree in principle with the motion, I have two caveats: 1 – This is the right of ALL people and we should be campaigning to reduce barriers to free speech for all (this is only one starting point). 2 – Knowledge is power (Francis Bacon). Opinions can also lead to actions and consequences. Responsible actions and the generation of responsible actions should accompany this ‘freedom’.’
262. Dr David Andrews – Canterbury Christ Church University
261. Justine Earl – Senior Lecturer in Education, Canterbury Christ Church University
260. Robert Bowie – Canterbury Christ Church University
259. Aaron Blickenstaff – Student Goucher College
258. Martin Hughes – formerly of Durham University, now a part-time tutor at Bracknell and Wokingham College: “I agree with these remarks”.
257. Professor Norman Fisher – The University of Reading
256. Professor Timothy Insoll – University of Manchester: ‘I support these principles’.
255. Richard Ferguson – Lecturer, Brockenhurst College: “I believe that unless we are free to question perceived wisdom there is little point in being in the forefront of the process of developing minds. I have always assumed the right to express a contrary view in the pursuit of academic investigation. Whilst it is not necessarily an academic tutors intention to offend or upset others, we must not become so cautious that we think of consequences before we do or say anything that might be controversial. I believe this right of freedom should extend to all academics involved in the teaching process including schools and colleges where we are encouraging young people to think for themselves. Restricting this motion to universities does seem rather elitist”.
254. Alex Standish – University College London: ‘We all need to defend academic freedom at a time when some academics are seeking to student access to only those ideas and theories they approve of.’
253. Jane Westergaard – Senior Lecturer Canterbury Christ Church University
252. Andy Dawson – MSc Programme Director, UCL SLAIS
251. Dr David Ponsonby – Principal Lecturer, Canterbury Christ Church University
250. Kenneth Good – honorary fellow, University of Melbourne (formerly professor of political studies, University of Botswana, 1990-2005.): ‘I feel that the Statement should also address the perhaps greatest problem of restrictions on freedom from the state. There is a Kampala Declaration on academic freedom in Africa which is a good starting point. The Statement as it is tends to assume that the academic is located in a liberal democracy, like NZ, Aus, Cda, where threats to freedom of speech are few, but there’s lots of places where that isn’t so, and the state still restricts free speech in US, Britn, Aus etc.’
249. Martin Gough – Research Fellow, University College London
248. Dr Christopher Powles – Southampton University
247. Graham Pycock – Academic Leader, UG Centre, London Metropolitan University: ‘The importance of freedom of expression is the opportunity it confers upon students, colleagues and the wider community to hear/see alternative views. Vociferous minorities, ideologues, Blairite egalitarians and faith bigots must never be allowed to deny the right of everyone else to form their own judgement. Subject only to the limitation that incitement to violence is subject to criminal law and the courts; the right to promote ideas must be entirely unfettered. The antidote to perceived falsehood and antagonism is truth and reconciliation. Censorship is no argument. Academics must defend the Enlightenment against the current assault.’
246. Dr Lynn Revell – Faculty of Education, Canterbury Christ Church University
245. Vanessa Young – Principal Lecturer in Education, Canterbury Christ Church University
244. William Stow – Director of Primary Postgraduate Initial Teacher Education, Canterbury Christ Church University
243. Johannes Borgstein – Erasmus Mc: ‘The biggest threat to academic freedom now is not political but corporate the new corporate model of the university does not tolerate dissident opinion and is entirely ruthless in enforcing any threat to profit’.
242. Dr Marcin Szczerbinski – Department of Human Communication Sciences, University of Sheffield
241. Dr Sarah Cardwell – Senior Lecturer, University of Kent
240. Yvonne Stewart – Principal Lecturer, Canterbury Christ Church University
239. Professor Miriam David, AcSS, FRSA – Associate Director (Higher Education), ESRC Teaching and Learning Research Programme, Institute of Education, University of London, & Visiting Professor of Policy Studies in Education, Keele University
238. Dr Josh Schwieso – Senior Lecturer in Psychology, University of the West of England
237. Prof David Murphy – Professor of Experimental Medicine, University of Bristol
236. Professor John Geake – Oxford Brookes University
235. Dr Guglielmo Verdirame – Lecturer, Faculty of Law,University of Cambridge
234. Dr Stephen Dearden – Manchester Metropolitan University
233. Dr Sonja A. Boehmer-Christiansen – Reader, Department of Geography, Hull University: ‘In my many years at several universities I have noticed a decline probably caused by an ideology that treats places of learning as ‘a business’, a place for selling and hiring, for making money out of students. Money is needed, but not at the interface between teacher and learner, that is corrupting in many circumstances’.
232. Dr Mark Ramsden – Research Fellow, Department of Geography, King’s College London
231. Nico Naeve, MA – University of Dortmund, Germany
230. Dr Ken McLaughlin – Manchester Metropolitan University: ‘A very important set of principles to defend. Well done AFAF.’
229. Dr Munira Mirza – Alumna, University of Kent
228. Dr Harry S. Orbach – Reader, Department of Vision Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University
227. Associate Professor Jason Jacobs – Griffith University Queensland
226. James Dennis Hoff – Hunter College & Graduate Center CUNY
225. Professor Manuel Hernández Iglesias – Dept. of Philosophy, University of Murcia (Spain)
224. Professor James Tooley – Newcastle University
223. Dr Anthony Centeno – London South Bank University
222. Dr SH Cedar – Reader in Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health & Social Care, London South Bank University
221. Dr Graham Barnfield – University of East London
220. Dr Kevin Yuill – Senior Lecturer in American Studies, University of Sunderland
219. Dr Caspar J M Hewett – Newcastle University: ‘I agree with the statements absolutely. For decades there has been a move in Universities to close down debate about everything from racism to religion and it is well and truly time that academics rejected this tendency and are forthright in defending civil liberties such as free expression both within and outside the education sector’.
218. Professor Johnjoe McFadden – University of Surrey
217. Dr Ian Frowe – Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge
216. Steven Robert Harris – University of Glamorgan
215. Dr Gyozo Molnar – Sport & Exercise Sciences, NEWI
214. Steven Robert Harris – University of Glamorgan
213. Michael F Watts – School of Education & Lifelong Learning University of East Anglia Von Hügel Institute St Edmund’s College Cambridge
212. Dr Gyozo Molnar – Sport & Exercise Sciences, NEWI
211. Dr Jim Butcher – Canterbury Christ Church University
210. Dr. Karin Verelst – Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium: ‘Not only British academics face this problem…’
209. Eduardo Costa Dias – Professor ISCTE, Lisbon
208. Mahmood Delkhasteh – PhD Candidate in Sociology London School of Economics and Political Science
207. Dr Sarah Amsler – Senior Lecturer in Sociology Kingston University
206. Steven Popper – Senior Lecturer in Education University of Chichester: ‘Academic freedom and freedom of speech are the two most precious things a democracy has, and are the key signifiers of education, as opposed to indoctrination. Ideas should be responded to in terms of their merits, not in terms of received wisdom or current dogma’.
205. Catriona Hallett: ‘I’m not a lecturer or researcher but I – and I’m sure many others – understand the importance of academics and universities in the country as a whole, in the way it forms opinions and thereby governs itself (especially as more and more people go to university). It is something that will eventually affect us all and I would therefore like to add my own name to this petition and register my opposition to the self-censorship that seems to be becoming so prevalent in universities’.
204. Andy C. Yu – PhD Candidate, IAIS University of Exeter: “I support the statement wholeheartedly. Academic freedom means we can study, express and circular anything or idea we like without having any fear but at the same time we must provide our cause or reason or research to support why we say so.”
203. John Curry – HE Area Leader City of Bath College
202. Dr Jane Pritchard – Learning and Teaching Centre, University of Glasgow
201. Professor Dave Webb – Leeds Metropolitan University
200. Adelino Torres – Full Professor of Economics (also in Methodology of Sciences) Technical University of Lisbon (ISEG-Higher Institute of Economics and Management)
197. Tom Gallagher – Professor of East European Politics Admissions Tutor, MA courses in Peace Studies University of Bradford
196. Eric Germain – B.Ing., M.Sc.A. Sessional Lecturer, École Polytechnique de Montréal + École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) + Sherbrooke University and Student, External Programme, BA Philosophy, University of London
195. Enzo Rossi – PhD Student, University of St Andrews
194. Muhamed AlKhalil, Ph.D – Director Jordan: Modernization and Social Change Program School for International Training, Vermont, USA
193. Peter Craig – Lecturer in Statistics Department of Mathematical Sciences University of Durham
192. Elisa Paganini – Lecturer Università degli Studi di Milano – Italy
191. Roberto Casati – CNRS – France
190. Tricia Weston – Open University: ‘I appreciate this site is for Lecturers and Researchers, which is a level I have not yet reached but felt impelled to offer my support. I am a final year mature degree student of Social Sciences and Social Policy and have been studying on and off since the 1970s. In the 1970s debate and discourses were exciting and challenging, I have found however that of late study is no more than regurgitating of written texts and I am not encouraged to express opinion, in the same manner that my lecturers avoid controversial discourses. I do not understand how the subjects I follow and society can benefit from knowledge and empowerment when we are discouraged from challenging traditional (safe) subject matter, this must be highly frustrating for lecturers. I appreciate restrictions cause great hardship to researchers who would not benefit from reworking old research areas rather than challenge new ideas in case they offend or have sponsorship, etc. withdrawn. How can Society move on without tackling sensitive issues, etc., can you imagine the impact such restrictions would have had on Darwin’s works or Freud or Newton or many other great scholars who inspired the world of change? Finally it enrages me that those with power but not necessarily knowledge have the ability to change law and social policy in sensitive areas (changes which we have seen an abundance of over the past few years) but those with the knowledge who could bring about change through quantified discourses and not merely opinion are being punished for engaging us in knowledgeable debate. I wish you every success in your campaign and if successful I believe that I and the many thousands of students in England will benefit as will society. We may then believe that the values of free speech and freedom of expression has not been lost in Great Britain except of course to the privileged few’.
189. Ingo Brigandt, Ph.D. – Dept. of Philosophy, University of Alberta, Canada
188. Charles Pigden – Senior Lecturer, Department of Philosophy, University of Otago, New Zealand: ‘Freedom may not be indivisible but it is in practice very difficult to divide. If I am to be free to voice my lefteous and enlightened opinions without fear of the consequences, then the people I regard as obnoxious ratbags must be free to voice theirs, however vile, deluded or superstitious I take them to be. Without some such principle as the one we are signing up to embodied in law and in university statutes I see two risks: 1) That an ‘expertise’ principle will be deployed in order to restrict academic freedom to the verge of non-existence. ‘Of course’, we will be told, ‘you have the freedom to speak out – on matters within your field of expertise. Academic freedom should not however be construed as the freedom to sound off on any topic whatsoever, especially those of which you have no expert knowledge’. Fields of expertise will then be progressively restricted so that a latter-day Conrad Russell who presumed to write on the theme of academic freedom would be censured for not having confined himself to the 17th Century, the only topic on which he would be officially qualified to speak. I do not think such fears are chimerical. I have seen various draft policies on academic freedom (and I think some actual policies) which specifically incorporate an ‘expertise’ provision. 2) That academic freedom will become the preserve of established and successful scholars. Big names, who can make a big noise if someone attempts to suppress them, will be left alone. Having reached the summits of their careers they usually have little more to hope for in the way of further promotion and hence little to fear in the way of promotion deferred. They tend to have a highly marketable set of skills which means that in the unlikely event of dismissal they are highly likely to get an as good or better job elsewhere. They are thus very difficult to discipline and are likely to remain so (though even this only holds if we posit a modicum of backbone which is often sadly lacking in senior academics). It is otherwise with young, borderline or merely competent academics who face the risk of slower promotion and/or unrenewed contracts if they make public and controversial pronouncements. If someone is less than stellar, it easy to find a plausible excuse for blocking their careers or even ‘letting them go’. (‘With all those newspaper articles can she really be devoting enough time and energy to her teaching? I notice some for he student evaluations complain that she is too opinionated. We have to ask ourselves whether we really want someone who, after all, is merely a junior lecturer, without – let’s face it – many scholarly articles, to her credit being perceived as the public face of the university.’) Without explicit institutional protection embodied in statutory provisions along the lines suggested by the petition – and often even with it – this sort of thing is all too likely and the FEAR of it is more likely still. Self-censorship is and is likely to be the result. It is so much easier NOT to write that article or to say that controversial thing. Thus in twenty or thirty years time, the academic stars may retain the capacity to speak out, but most of them, after a long training in subservience and self-censorship, will have lost the will to do so’.
187. Desidério Murcho – PhD Candidate King’s College London
186. Adam Langton – Master’s Candidate, English Literature University of Windsor, Ontario
185. Lucian Zagan – PhD Student, Department of Philosophy, Central European University, Budapest, Hungary
184. Dr. Nicholas Joll – Junior Research Fellow, Department of Philosophy University of Essex
183. Mog Stapleton – PhD Student, University of Edinburgh: ‘I support the above statement of academic freedom’.
182. Dr Justine Johnstone – Science and Technology Policy Research, University of Sussex
181. Paul Fallavollita – ex-Ph.D. student, Purdue University Department of Political Science
180. Professor Mark Rowlands – Philosophy University of Hertfordshire and University of Miami
179. Lizzie Knight – Institute of Education University of London
178. Pablo Stafforini – BPhil student Department of Philosophy Balliol College, Oxford
177. Tom Cochrane – PhD Student, Philosophy University of Nottingham
176. Joseph Cohen – Collège International de Philosophie (Paris, France) Staatliche Hoschule für Gestaltung (Karlsruhe, Deutschland)
175. Joachim Horvath, M.A. – Ph.D. student in Philosophy Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen
174. Daniel Statman – Dept. of Philosophy Haifa University ISRAEL
173. Robert W. McGee – Barry University
172. Tony Cole – University of Warwick
171. Dr Elizabeth McCardell – University of Notre Dame Australia
170. Dr Nicholas Shackel – James Martin Research Fellow University of Oxford
169. Mike Finn – British Politics and Governance Department of Political Science and International Studies University of Birmingham: ‘I fully support the statement, but I find Lewis Glinert’s comment very simplistic – and wrong. In order for 1930s German universities to become ‘breeding grounds for intolerance and violence’, it was necessary for the Nazi state to ‘purge’ them of so-called ‘anti-social elements’ – i.e. Jews, political dissenters, anyone whose views didn’t fit. So in fact it was state intervention – rather than a simple groundswell of ‘hatred’ from the academics themselves – which caused such horrific results. In terms of Britain and other places, 1930s universities were pretty diverse entities in terms of the views held by staff and students. Oxford for instance had communities of militantly left- and right- political groupings, while Cambridge communism is well documented. Nonetheless, the majority of students at the majority of institutions (whether Oxbridge or Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester et al.) held middle of the road political views in common with the public at large (cf. the failure of British fascist and communist movements). It should also be noted that many of the academics driven out from Nazi Germany and the occupied countries found a home, and a position, in British universities. Intriguingly, in a report held in the National Archives, London, the wartime British Foreign Office examined German universities and argued that because of their close ties to the state (in particular, the traditional role of the state in vetoing professorial appointments and such) they were extremely vulnerable. The same files note (perhaps in a slightly smug and self-satisfied way) that British universities were not so vulnerable, as the University Grants Committee (which oversaw state funding for universities) had at that time a non-directorial role and no role in personnel appointments. So in fact your point is really about the curtailing of academic freedom and its consequences, not the dangers of its existence. And I also think your view of 1930s university students is something of a caricature, to say the least. In my experience as a member of staff at three different universities, and as a researcher of university history, students often completely ignore what their scholars say – certainly more often than not’.
168. Professor F. D. Hunt – University at Albany: ‘Only by open discussion can we truly understand, not just our differences, but most importantly – our similarities’.
167. Noel Cox – Professor of Constitutional Law at the Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand. Currently Visiting Fellow, Wolfson College, University of Cambridge
166. Colin Broom – Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama
165. Anthony Vidgen – Student reading Human Resource Management, University of Lincoln: ‘Universities today seem to be run for the sake of expansion in its own right, through management and marketing. People attend university only to improve their career prospects, when institutions should be about indulging in free thought and asking the questions no-one else wants to ask or hear the answers to. Congratulations to those academics who take a pride in what they do and engage with their students rather than let them wallow in mediocrity’.
164. Michael Pye – The Business School University of Hertfordshire
163. Dr Ian Taylor – School of International Relations University of St Andrews
162. Dr. Alexander W. Dent – Lecturer, Royal Holloway, University of London
161. Magda Todorovic – PhD research student Jodrell Bank Observatory The University of Manchester
160. Srdjan Todorovic, BSc – Lancaster University, UK
159. Dr Pierre Hentges – University of Sussex: ‘I support the statement but would like to clarify that academic freedom does not equal a “right to offend”, nor can it be a privilege that we deny those outside academia. Instead, we must justify our unrestricted liberty to question by a commitment to the pursuit of knowledge and understanding, and so academic freedom implies a *duty* to tell the truth when we are confronted by deceit’.
158. Dr Colin Turner – Lecturer in Islamic Studies and Persian University of Durham
157. Dr Keith Firman – Reader in Molecular Biotechnology School of Biological Sciences University of Portsmouth
156. Dr Ian Brown – Senior Research Fellow University College London
155. Aaron Sloman – School of Computer Science, University of Birmingham: ‘Too many people are too afraid to speak out. Worse, many are brain-washed into accepting things blindly, without realising that there is a different viewpoint’. I’ve set up a web page supporting AFAF (with minor qualifications) http://www.cs.bham.ac.uk/research/projects/cogaff/misc/academic-freedom.html with a link from my home page.
154. WJP Bailie – PhD Student, Queen’s University Belfast
153. Professor Bob Brecher – University of Brighton
152. Dr Emily Ryall – University of Gloucestershire
151. Dr David A Jones – St Mary’s College, Twickenham: “Plurality is key as Hannah Arendt and Niklas Luhmann suggest in their different ways. A plurality of thoughts, tales and possibilities, and a plurality in ways of conceiving of society. The University and its members should lead this quest for plurality as the core of the learning, researching and thinking experience. At the moment plurality is on the periphery and the University near reduced to a tool for the Competition State. If this AFAF movement can help to rectify the situation as I perceive it then I am more than happy to lend my support.” ‘I offer my cautious support to this campaign and hope it allows received opinions to be questioned more easily. Courage is a virtue in an academic as it is in a soldier. Nevertheless, I do not endorse the two ‘principles’ as outlined as they seem to me to make quasi-absolute statements about academic ‘rights’ or ‘freedoms’ without relation to society, context, virtue, intention, what is true or what is good. I do not believe in a ‘right’ to be offensive where this is not related to a serious academic or pedagogic concern with truth. Those who attack absolute ‘truth’ but wish to defend absolute ‘rights’ seem to my mind to want to eat their cake and have it too. There is also a quite proper concern that controversial topics be presented in an ethically responsible manner (not, for example, taking pleasure in humiliating a student who takes a different view but who is less practiced in the rhetoric of the issue). I find this debate healthy and hope it allows the right kind of serious questioning, but if asked to vote I would not endorse these two principles as stated. I also think that, should similar such statements gain legal or institutional force their formulation should emerge from more a more transparent mechanism of reflection and consultation’.
150. Susan Lawes – BAcc ACA, Chartered Accountant: “I offer my support to the campaign to preserve freedom of speech. Man’s greatest breakthroughs have been the result of challenges to the status quo and established thinking. Man’s darkest days have been the result of censorship of ideas and expression. We must stem the concept of the right ‘not to be offended’. Dissent is healthy.”
149. Pere Josep Villez – University of Portsmouth
148. Roger Ward – Engineering Computing Unit Manager (retired) University of Leeds
147. John Parkes – Senior Lecturer, Coventry University
146. Elizabeth Barron – PhD Student, Inverness College, UHI: “They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it’s not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.” Terry Pratchett
145. Professor David Calderbank – University of York
144. Dr Mike Arnold – Lecturer in Education, Bradford College
143. Ruth Thomas-Pellicer – PhD candidate, Centre for Environmental Strategy jointly with Department of Sociology University of Surrey: “University ought not to be a place to greenwash the politics of financial growth and ‘oikonomic’ depletion to the advantage of a few multinationals all under the guise of value-free science. The university is precisely the forum where to contest this chunk of patriarchal-cum-ecocidal received wisdom. Following Nietzsche (On the Genealogy of Morals, First Essay, section 1), let’s then all shout in the unison: “[We] rebel at that idea; more, [we] don’t believe it”! The statement should extend to the concerns of the not yet established scholar and thus add something along the lines: “Funded PhDs scholarships for up to 5 years on topics of the choice of the researcher, so that the young scholar can engage critically with their research instead of being time-wise constrained to sanction received wisdom. This established practice to use PhD students as inexpensive labour force for the advancement of the vision of professors and technocrats alike is a conspicuous breach of academic freedom. A practice therefore which has to be contested and eventually abolished.” ‘All that is excellent is as difficult as it is rare’ -Spinoza, Ethics
142. Mr Tom McKinnell MRCS (Ed) – MSc Student, University of Cardiff, and SHO in Burns and Plastic Surgery RFH, London: ‘To challenge accepted wisdom is the only route to the advancement of knowledge’.
141. Prof Geoffrey M Hodgson – University of Hertfordshire: ‘I fully support this statement in favour of academic freedom. Some dissent is essential for scientific progress. Congratulations on this initiative’.
140. Professor Vincent Egan – Glasgow Caledonian University: ‘Arguing-out difficult (or wrong) ideas is better than making their proponents martyrs’.
139. Dr Ben Grant – University of Kent
138. Dr Kevin Bates – Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Cambridge: “Research is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought” Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, Hungarian Biochemist, 1937 Nobel Prize for Medicine
137. Rulzion Rattray – Senior Lecturer, University of Dundee
136.Leo Biblitz – University of British Columbia: ‘Post-sec studies are not for everyone. They are not for anyone who is troubled by an idea – not for anyone unwilling to plumb the depths and try new things in search of an answer or even greater certainty. We must stand on the shoulders of giants and question every authority no matter who it may offend.’
135. Nick Creaby-Attwood – Newcastle Business School, Northumbria University
134. Tapan K. Chakravarty – (B.Arch.; M. Urban Design) Reader: TVB School of Habitat Studies. (GGS Indra Prastha University). New Delhi. India. “though things r not so harsh in India yet.. but ‘yet’..! freedom of thought & freedom of speech is fundamental to education.. therefore to academics as a whole. just as there is often a difference in ‘theory’ & ‘practice’.. so be there a difference in ‘academically right’ & ‘politically right’.”
133. Uwe Dippel – Department of Computer Science Universiti Tenaga Nasional Malaysia
132. Dr. Geof Staniford – Senior Lecturer, Liverpool John Moores University
131. Dr Jim Turner – The Open University: ‘Disclaimer: The views expressed by me when encouraging students to challenge assumptions, received knowledge, opinions unsupported by empirical evidence, sociocultural truisms, political rhetoric, etc. do not necessarily coincide with my own views or those of my institution’.
130. Dr Robert Hoffmann – Associate Professor of Economics, Nottingham University Business School
129. Dr Graeme Garrard – Senior Lecturer in Politics, Cardiff University, UK
128. Dr Steven Burston – Lecturer in Biochemistry, University of Bristol
127. Andrew Crompton: ‘I am offended by people being offended’.
126. Peter J.T. Verheijen – Biotechnology, Technical University Delft, The Netherlands: ‘No comment needed’.
125. Dr Stuart Shields – Centre for International Politics, University of Manchester
124. Alexandre Borovik – Professor of Pure Mathematics University of Manchester
123. Robert Maitland – Reader in Tourism Management, University of Westminster
122. Dave Rowley – Principal Lecturer, Speech Therapy, De Montfort University
121. Dr A C Baker – Formerly of Cardiff University
120. Dr Paul Hatherly – Senior Lecturer in Experimental Physics, Department of Physics, University of Reading
119. Dr Mordechai Katzman – Pure Mathematics, University of Sheffield: ‘Its time to reclaim our universities from the bureaucrats who run them’.
118. Dr Nik Whitehead – School of Computing, University of Akureyri, Iceland
117. Gavin M Rhoades – Senior Lecturer, School of Education, University of Wolverhampton
116. Dr NJ Morris – Lecturer, Newcastle University (UK)
115. Ian Hamilton QC BL (Glasgow 1952) LL D Aberdeen (Honoris Causa 1996) Rector – University of Aberdeen 1994-96: ‘I am not sure of the definition of ‘academic’. However I think the principle of academic freedom so important that I hope the definition may be extended to me’.
114. Dr Nick Murphy – Senior Lecturer, University of Birmingham
113. Dr Briony Williams – University of Wales, Bangor
112. Dr Steve Else – Head of Religion & Philosophy Department, Loughborough Grammar School: “We have to choose between intellectual and emotional maturity, and another Dark Age. I am SO sick of the word `offended’…”
111. David J Carpenter – Aston University
110. Richard Baron – Tutor in Philosophy, Mary Ward Centre, London: https://rbphilo.com/
109. Professor Simon Redfern – University of Cambridge
108. Dr. Cathy Cantwell – University of Oxford and Cardiff University
107. Dr Alex Standish – Senior Research Fellow, St Chad’s College, Durham University
106. Professor Jonathan Osborne – Chair of Science Education, Head of Department Department of Education and Professional Studies, King’s College London
105. Mr Nicos Souleles – Cumbria Institute of the Arts, Carlisle, Cumbria
104. Dr Kalvis M. Jansons – Reader in Mathematics, UCL
103. Dr Sian Hawthorne – SOAS
102. Dr. Julian Saurin – Lecturer in International Relations, University of Sussex: ‘It is unfortunate that the BBC misleadingly reported AFAF as campaign for the ‘right to offend’ and not one of the freedom of expression, rights to academic freedom and the obligation to question’.
101. Dr Margaret Scott – Honorary Research Fellow, Department of English Language, University of Glasgow
100. Professor Robert Insall – School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham
99. Monty Paul – School of Education, Southampton University Southampton
98. Professor Paul Trayhurn – Professor of Nutritional Biology, University of Liverpool
97. Dr David Wallom – Researcher, University of Oxford
96. Dr Oliver Mason – Lecturer in English, University of Birmingham
95. Christopher Brewster – Research Fellow, University of Sheffield
94. Dr Warren Swain – Department of Law, Durham University
93. Vladislav Polyakov – Reading LLB Law, University of Nottingham
92. Dr. Laurence Tratt – King’s College London
91. Professor John A Robinson – University of York
90. Dorothea Farquhar – PhD student, Department of Government, University of Essex
89. Dr Ron Roberts – Senior Lecturer, Kingston University: ‘Not before time. Academic freedom has already half but disappeared. We’re now just production line workers in an academic sausage factory – there to please the bean counters – who appear also to be innumerate’.
88. Dr Jonathan L Mobey – University of Oxford
87. John Crissey – Lecturer in Strategic Marketing and Management, Newbold College, Binfield, Bracknell, UK
86. Dr David Kidner – University of Glamorgan: ‘A vital issue.’
85. Robert W. Ridge BA BSc (Hons) PhD – Professor of Cell Biology Chair, Graduate School of Natural Sciences, International Christian University Tokyo, Japan: ‘Critical thinking requires no restraints’.
84. Gareth Neighbour – Senior Lecturer in Engineering, University of Hull
83. Richard Reynolds – PPE Student (undergraduate) University of East Anglia
82. Mark Haydock – Southampton Solent University
81. Dr Paul Ramshaw – London College of Music Faculty of Arts Thames Valley University
80. Dr. Christopher J. Law – New York University
79. Dr Patrick Hayden – Senior Lecturer in International Relations, University of St Andrews
78. Dr Richard Skues – London Metropolitan University
77. D. Johnson – Barnsley College
76. Professor Richard Healey – Dept. of Geography, University of Portsmouth
75. Darren G. Monckton – Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Professor of Human Genetics University of Glasgow
74. Megan Robertson – ILT Champion, City of Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College: ‘Education is about replacing an empty mind with an open mind’.
73. Matt Hutchings – RCUK Fellow in Molecular Microbiology, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, UK
72. Dr Andreas Krause – Lecturer in Finance, University of Bath
71. Sue Thomas – Professor of New Media Faculty of Humanities / Institute of Creative Technologies, De Montfort University
70. Professor Daniel Read – Durham University Business School, Durham, UK
69. Chris Stephens – Reading Maths and Computer Science at The University of Manchester
68. Dr Mike J Smith – School of Earth Sciences and Geography, Kingston University
67. Professor Geoffrey Alderman, DLitt MA DPhil (Oxon) – Emeritus Professor, Middlesex University: ‘Although the AFAF statement could no doubt be improved upon, its thrust is broadly correct, and I am delighted to be able to support it’.
66. Dr Wendy Wheeler – Reader in English, Course Leader MA Literature and Modernity, Dept of Humanities, Arts and Languages, London Metropolitan University
65. Adam Unwin – Lecturer in Education, Institute of Education
64. Dr William Durodie – Cranfield University
63. James Gledhill – London School of Economics
62. Professor Manuel B. Graeber MD PhD FRCPath – Professor of Neuropathology, Imperial College London and Hammersmith Hospitals Trust
61. Richard Dunnill – Head of Education, Institute for Education Policy Research, Staffordshire University
60. Professor Erik Ringmar – Professor, NCTU, Hsinchu, Taiwan: ‘I fully agree. This is a just cause’. Btw, I’m writing a book about freedom of speech and blogging at universities. I’d love to hear from you if you have a story to tell. The book’s blog is here: http://ringmar.net/imbloggingthis/
59. Charlie Owen – Thomas Coram Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London
58. Kathryn Ecclestone – Professor of Education and Social Inclusion, University of Birmingham; Visiting Professor, Oxford Brookes University
57. Dr Bernard Lamb – Reader in Genetics, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine: ‘I agree entirely with the statements’.
56. Professor Glen Newey – SPIRE, Keele University
55. Dr. Paul Cobley – London Metropolitan University
54. Dr. Alan Hodkinson – Senior Lecturer In Education Studies and Special Educational Needs, University of Chester
53. Alexander Belton – Lecturer in Pure Mathematics, Lancaster University
52. Rob Spence – Edge Hill University, Associate Head of the Department of English and History
51. Cate Watson – School of Education, University of Aberdeen: ‘The pressure to bid for, and carry out, compliant forms of research, together with the fear of offending students or merely being unpopular with them are constraints on academics’ willingness to challenge ideas at all levels: public debate, policy and practice. Academics need to resist these constraints with ideas outside their comfortable academic domain of journals and books: with students, with the public and with policy makers.’
50. Dr Gabrielle Ivinson – Cardiff University: ‘I support the right of university lecturers to academic freedom’.
49. Professor Fiona Macmillan – School of Law, Birkbeck, University of London
48. Professor Bill Bowring – Barrister, Professor of Law, Birkbeck College, University of London
47. Patrick Turner – London Metropolitan University
46. Professor Lewis Elton – Visiting Professor, University of Manchester, Honorary Professor, University College London: “While I support the ‘Statement of Academic Freedom’, I find it both curious and inadequate. In particular, I find the formulation ‘both inside and outside the classroom’ curiously old-fashioned – why is the classroom singled out when in modern teaching, with its stress on learning, the activity can occur in so many places – and also inadequate, as it makes no reference to research and scholarship. I would require a much more comprehensive description of my academic activities to be covered, covering teaching, research and scholarship, but not being a lawyer would hesitate to formulate it”.
45. Professor Graham Badley – Anglia Ruskin University: “Where there is much desire to learn, there of necessity will be much arguing, much writing, many opinions; for opinion in good men is but knowledge in the making… A little generous prudence, a little forbearance of one another, and some grain of charity might win all these diligences to join, and unite in one general brotherly search after truth… Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties… Let her and Falsehood grapple; who ever knew Truth put to the worse, in a free and open encounter?” John Milton: Aereopagitica, 6: 4-7
44. Dr Richard Hatcher – Faculty of Education, UCE Birmingham
43. Dr Jennifer Rogers – University of Leicester School of Education
42. Alan Hudson – Director, Leadership Programmes for China, University Lecturer, University of Oxford
41. Dan Dennis – University of Edinburgh
40. Professor Ellie Lee – University of Kent: ‘Academic freedom and open debate about anything and everything is the basis of University life’.
39. James Panton – Lecturer in Politics St John’s College, Oxford, Co-founder and Campaigns Director, The Manifesto Club
38. Dr Philip Hammond – Reader in Arts, Media & English London South Bank University
37. Prof. Christie Davies – University of Reading: ’I agree entirely with this statement of academic freedom. Anyone who does not is a hireling not a scholar. No ifs, no buts’.
36. Dr Maria Grasso – University of Oxford
35. Professor Richard Bailey – Professor of Pedagogy, Roehampton University
34. Simon Renton – Lecturer in History and Teaching Technology Co-ordinator, History Department, UCL
33. Professor Steve Fuller – University of Warwick
32. Dr Philip Cunliffe – University of Kent
31. Professor A. C. Grayling – Birkbeck, University of London
30. Wendy Earle – PHD student, Institute of Education, University of London
29. Peter Smith – Lecturer in Tourism and Tourism Management, St Mary’s University College, Twickenham
28. Dr G. Hope – Senior Lecturer in Design and Technology Education, Canterbury Christ Church University
27. Dr Gary Day – Principal Lecturer in English, De Montfort University
26. Gil Doron – Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL. ‘The universities are financed by the taxpayers therefore we do not have the right to offend or upset the tax payers – this statement is heard often as a justification for curtailing controversial and unpopular opinions. Such excuse excludes us from the rest of the society i.e. ignore the fact that we are part of the “the taxpayers”; it dispenses with the minority rights, and it is short of seeing that tax is exactly the enabler of a public realm which the university is part of and that controversy and contestation is equally the pubic realm’s building blocks’.
25. Colin Searls – Associate Dean (Learning and Teaching) Faculty of Art, University of Plymouth
24. Dr Joanna Williams – University of Kent
23. Tom Ogg – Nuffield College, University of Oxford
22. Dr Peter Martin – University of Oxford
21. David Bowden – University of Exeter
20. Alexander Tadorian – Skidmorr College, University of Miami
19. Dr Norman Levitt – Rutgers University
18. Kevin Morris – Middlesex University
17. Dr Chris Gilligan – University of Ulster
16. Dr Lee Jones – Queen Mary University of London
15. Simon Davies – Co-Director, Policy Engagement Research Group, London School of Economics: ‘I’m deeply worried about the number of academics who flee in terror at the slightest wisp of controversy. Rather than engage the world in a spirit of challenge, too many academics have been sedated by an oppressive environment of political correctness and risk aversion’.
14. Professor Frank Furedi – University of Kent
13. Dr Shirley Lawes – Institute of Education, University of London
12. Prof. Lewis Glinert – Dartmouth College: ‘As the 1930s should have taught us, universities can rapidly become breeding grounds for intolerance and violence. What scholars say, their students are quick to do’.
11. Professor Gavin Poynter – University of East London
10. Professor Mary Evans – University of Kent: ‘Universities need to be able to maintain, and even extend their ability to think the unthinkable. They should not accept a role as mere instruments of state agendas’.
9. Dr Stuart Derbyshire – Senior Lecturer in Psychology, University of Birmingham: ‘Rigorous discussion is the only road to truth’.
8. Dr Lynn Erler – Researcher, University of Oxford
7. Donald Bligh – University of Exeter
6. Dr Helen Reece – Reader in Law, Birkbeck College, University of London
5. Professor James Woudhuysen – De Montfort University
4. Professor Ray Tallis – University of Manchester
3. Dr Vanessa Pupavac – University of Nottingham
2. Professor Roy Harris – University of Oxford: ‘Getting university authorities to agree to these principles is an essential step towards safeguarding academic freedom for the future’.
1. Professor Dennis Hayes – Professor of Education, University of Derby
