Higher Educations Moral Failure

HE Institutions Need to Be Incentivised to Protect Basic Freedoms
Its fairly apparent now that rather too many of our universities are cavalier about supporting and protecting academic freedom and freedom of expression. Academics targeted by activists ,in social media and through other means, ( more often than not espousing minority views and coercive tactics), find themselves unprotected and unsupported by university authorities, who signally lack moral courage and prefer inertia to action. .These freedoms-these pillars- that underpin the enlightenments conception of the purpose of higher education, are being eroded. Given the importance of these freedoms, I have long argued that any university league table worth its salt should rate how well respective institutions protect academic freedom and freedom of speech. One of the architects of the The Times Higher Education league table asked me how this might be measured. Easier to measure I suggested than an institutions quality of teaching and research, which current league tables purport to measure and rate accurately. There are no good reasons why THE, and indeed other league tables, should not do this. I can understand why Cambridge, Sussex and just about every Chinese University out there ,might robustly object to this, but that is hardly a sufficient reason to block an initiative that would make league tables fairer and more credible, while incentivising universities to protect these vital freedoms.
British universities should also consider adopting the draft model code of conduct developed by the Academic Freedom and Internationalisation Working Group to show that the sector is serious about enhancing transparency and accountability.
The Academic Freedom and Internationalisation Working Group (AFIWG) brings together academics from UK Higher Education institutions, who are supported by relevant civil society representatives and the All-Party Parliamentary Human Rights Group (PHRG), to strengthen protection for academic freedom and the academic community within the context of the internationalisation of UK Higher Education, broadly defined, by:
highlighting the fundamental importance of academic freedom to the UK Higher Education sector and its future success;
assessing the current protection for academic freedom and members of the academic community in the context of the internationalisation of UK Higher Education;
identifying related risks and gaps;
promoting a collective response by UK universities, particularly by preparing a model Code of Conduct for the UK Higher Education sector; and,
facilitating constructive engagement with relevant stakeholders in connection with the above, including to encourage adoption of the Code of Conduct by UK Higher Education institutions, in partnership with their respective academic communities, and develop and share best practice