A DEGREE OF INFLUENCE A DEGREE OF INFLUENCE The funding of strategically important subjects in UK universities The funding of strategically important subjects in UK universities A DEGREE OF INFLUENCE: The funding of strategically important subjects in UK universities A Degree of Influence: The funding of strategically important subjects in UK universities is the first study to analyse the high levels of foreign funding entering British academia. The report highlights how university subjects designated as “strategically important” by the British government are currently receiving large financial injections from foreign donors, many of whom are unelected, despotic governments notorious for regularly perpetuating wide-scale human rights abuses. The report highlights that a lack of university safeguards and regulations has led to these donations pervading numerous aspects surrounding the university’s running, including: � Issues of censorship � University research tailored to suit the specific interests of its donors � Academic centres established to disseminate the world-view of foreign donors and governments � Universities functioning as diplomatic arms of foreign governments � Foreign donors controlling the appointments of university management committees A Degree of Influence warns that unless the government, universities and students themselves do not take immediate action, the objectivity of higher education in the UK could be significantly compromised. ‘The most formidable of the think-tanks monitoring Islamic extremism’ Daily Telegraph The Centre for Social Cohesion Clutha House, 10 Storey’s Gate, London, SW1P 3AY Tel: +44 (0)20 722 28 909 Fax: +44 (0)56 015 27 476 Email: [email protected] www.socialcohesion.co.uk Robin Simcox The Centre for Social Cohesion Robin Simcox 1 ISBN: 978-0-9560013-3-7 £18.00 A Degree of Influence THE FUNDING OF STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT SUBJECTS IN UK UNIVERSITIES Robin Simcox 2009 THE CENTRE FOR SOCIAL COHESION The Centre for Social Cohesion Clutha House 10 Storey’s Gate London SW1P 3AY Tel: +44 (0)20 7222 8909 Fax: +44 (0)5 601527476 Email: [email protected] www.socialcohesion.co.uk The Centre for Social Cohesion Limited by guarantee. Registered in England and Wales: No. 06609071 © The Centre for Social Cohesion, March 2009 All the Institute’s publications seek to further its objective of promoting human rights for the benefit of the public. The views expressed are those of the author, not of the Institute. All rights reserved ISBN 978-0-9560013-3-7 Printed in Great Britain through SS Media Limited Wallington, Surrey Contents Preface 9 Methodology 10 Executive Summary 11 Introduction 14 Context 16 PART ONE ARABIC & ISLAMIC STUDIES Sources of Arabic and Islamic funding available on public record 20 University of Oxford and Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies 31 University of Cambridge 64 University of Edinburgh 73 The School of Oriental and African Studies 76 The London School of Economics and Political Science 89 University of St Andrews 97 University of Durham 99 University of Exeter 103 University of Wales Lampeter 110 City University London 114 Al-Maktoum Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies – University of Aberdeen 115 PART TWO E A S T A S I A & EASTERN EUROPEAN STUDIES Donations to Chinese Studies – Confucius Institutes 124 School of Oriental and African Studies 128 University of Edinburgh 129 University of Manchester 130 The London School of Economics and Political Science 130 University of Sheffield 131 University of Nottingham 132 University of Wales Lampeter 132 University of Cardiff 132 University of Central Lancashire 133 Areas of concern 133 Additional donations 147 Donations to Japanese Studies 151 Miscellaneous donations to Asian Studies 160 Russian/Eastern European Studies 162 Conclusion 163 Recommendations 166 References 167 Biography 169 Acknowledgements 169 The image on the front cover of this report is titled ‘Al-Siraat’, by the Saudi artist Abdulnasser Gharem. It was removed from an exhibition that took place at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) after they decided it was offensive to Islam and Muslims. Preface Donors and foreign governments from around the world have in recent years taken a huge interest in funding UK university studies. A Degree of Influence: The funding of strategically important subjects in UK universities highlights the foreign money that is being injected into those subjects that are designated of ‘strategic importance’ by the UK government, and the ways in which the cash is being converted into influence at universities on a range of levels. The largest donations are those funding Islamic and Arabic studies in the UK. At a time when Islam is receiving an unprecedented amount of public atten- tion, it is more vital than ever before for universities to engage in free and open research, all the while retaining their reputation as impartial, objective cen- tres of academic excellence. Yet the evidence uncovered by this report suggests that universities are placing their objectivity at risk by accepting huge financial donations without putting in place safeguards to ensure that they retain their neutrality. In addition, the apparent inability of universities to implement any quality con- trol over the bodies and individuals from whom they are receiving cash means that some of the finest higher education institutes in the UK are taking money from unelected, despotic governments. Many of these regimes commit gross human rights violations; yet the universities appear to have few qualms about accepting donations from such sources. British universities have a reputation for being among the best in the world, yet they are now effectively up for sale to the highest bidder. A Degree of Influence calls on government, universities and students to unite in reversing this trend. Douglas Murray Director The Centre for Social Cohesion 9 A DEGREE OF INFLUENCE Methodology The categories of studies included in this report are as follows: Islamic Studies and area studies as they relate to the Islamic world1 East Asia (with special reference to China and Japan) Eastern Europe (including Russia) This report catalogues the sources of foreign funding that British universities have announced receiving to help them run courses that teach strategically im- portant subjects. Also included are instances of foreign money being given to fund events or courses that, while largely apolitical, could affect the universities’ presentation of these strategically important subjects. Such examples include the donation by foreign governments of language books to universities. Cases are also considered in which funding was ostensibly given to apolitical projects, such as art galleries, but where it was later revealed to have had consequences for teaching and admissions policies. This report excludes donations to business studies, medical research, science, and other subjects not primarily dedicated to strategic issues. Money given to- wards auditoriums and lecture theatres is also excluded, unless the university’s agreement with funders could also risk affecting teaching, admissions policy or other relevant areas. This has sometimes been the case when money given towards the construction of buildings is tied in with donations that affect areas relevant to this report, such as admissions policy. When this is the case, the whole donation is included. One of the aims of the report is to investigate how many of the donations from foreign funders to strategically important UK subjects are actually declared. Therefore all figures that are included here are openly available on public record; in reality, they are likely to be a tiny fraction of the total that has been donated over the years. Therefore, the author makes no claim that the financial figures included in this report are in any way an exhaustive total of every dona- tion received. For example, since 2004, the London School of Economics (LSE) has received 128 foreign donations in subjects that are designated ‘strategically important’ by the government.2 Of these donations, only five appear to be avail- able on the public record. 1 Although the London School of Economics (LSE) has included Turkish Studies as part of its Eu- ropean Institute, given that Turkey is a nation with a majority Muslim population and strong ties to Islam, and is currently governed by a party with roots in political Islam, Turkish donations have also been included for consideration 2 When looking at The LSE Annual Fund: Report to Donors from 2004-05 through to 2007-08. http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/LSEAnnualFund/pdf/Donor%20Report%20FINAL.pdf 10 Executive Summary A Degree of Influence examines the level of foreign funding in British higher edu- cation. The report catalogues the financial donations from foreign governments to university subjects that are currently designated by the British government as ‘strategically important’. Focusing on financial contributions that are available on the public record to strategically important area and language studies that pertain to the study of the Middle East (including Islamic Studies), East Asia (including China and Japan), and the former Soviet Union, the report examines whether these donations have had a significant effect on higher education in the UK. The report finds that, in all the strategic subjects studied, the bulk of the cash that is on public record as being injected into UK higher education comes from Arabic and Islamic sources. In addition, donations from the Chinese