September 2, 2024
3 mins read

Academicians urge universities to be transparent over donations

Academicians from the UK have criticized the decision of King’s College, which had been ranked 6th in the UK and 38th in the world by Times Higher Education recently….reports Asian Lite News

A group of academicians and intellectuals in the United Kingdom have urged universities to be more open about donation sources after a report revealed that a Hong Kong-based donor has been funding a prominent China studies institute run under King’s College in London.

Reportedly, the non-profit research organization UK-China Transparency, focusing on ties between the countries, in July released a report unearthing that 99.9 per cent of the donations totalling more than 10 million pounds or USD 13.2 million at the King’s Lau China Institute at the King’s College were donated by Lau Ming-wai, son of Hong Kong tycoon Joseph Lau and chair of property investor Chinese Estates Holdings.

This Hong Kong-listed company was once a major shareholder in Evergrande, a major business entity in China involved in real estate.

King’s College, however, has refused to respond to Freedom of Information requests raised by UK-China Transparency seeking information about the donations received by Britain’s largest China research centre. Notably, UK law permits anyone to seek information held by public bodies in the country.

Academicians from the UK have criticized the decision of King’s College, which had been ranked 6th in the UK and 38th in the world by Times Higher Education recently.

Andrew Chubb, a senior lecturer in Chinese politics and international relations at Lancaster University in the UK, said, “King’s decision was corrosive as far as trust in the institutional code”.

Sam Dunning, the director of UK-China Transparency, expressed his concerns on the matter, stating, “The point is the public should know. It’s in the public interest for King’s to be transparent about whether there was any influence by the donor over the institute’s remit”.

Notably, Beijing has been internationally accused of committing human rights abuses against Uyghurs in East Turkistan, a southwestern region of China. Additionally, the US government has also accused the Chinese government of genocide.

One of the factors Dunning mentioned about China’s influence on academic work, is the UK’s reliance on international students to fund British universities.

Around 40 per cent of such international students were in deficit this year. Currently, Chinese students make up the biggest proportion of overseas students in UK universities. A local student pays just a mere 9,250 pounds per year as tuition fees, instead, an international student sometimes pays around 38,000 pounds for education in the country.

“Many of our universities would face going bust in a matter of years without Chinese student fees. That is a systematic incentive for them (universities) not to promote Chinese studies academics who are going to upset Beijing,” said Dunning.

Additionally, over 120 academics, politicians, and campaigners had also signed an open letter in April coordinated by media platform openDemocracy, which expressed concerns over opaque university funding in the UK and the influence of major donors, according to Nikkei Asia.

Previously, a study published by openDemocracy found that since 2017, over 281 million pounds have been anonymously donated to top British universities. The University of Oxford accepted 106 million pounds as donations by these anonymous donors.

“There’s no requirement to disclose names when challenged. It’s an entirely non-transparent situation in the UK,” explained John Heathershaw, professor of international relations at the University of Exeter. (ANI)

Previous Story

Council Bus Helps Rough Sleepers

Next Story

Govt launches £40 mn tech to detect flooding, droughts earlier

Latest from -Top News

Harvard sues Trump over foreign students ban

Harvard University has filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration after being barred from enrolling international students, marking its second legal challenge in a month against what it describes as politically

Pakistan may face stricter IMF terms

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will undertake its next funding review for Pakistan in the second half of 2025, with 11 new conditions now attached to the continuation of its Extended Fund

Indian diaspora in Japan backs Operation Sindoor

Members of the Indian diaspora in Japan have strongly endorsed Operation Sindoor, India’s targeted military response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and

WHO adopts Global Pandemic Agreement

The agreement seeks to boost international coordination and ensure equitable access to life-saving tools during future pandemics, while reaffirming respect for national sovereignty in public health decisions In a move aimed at
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Grenfell inquiry reveals Muslim survivors were denied halal food  

The Grenfell inquiry report highlighted the lack of support for

VFS Global to deliver UK visa and passport services across 142 countries

With the UK being a sought-after destination for travelers globally,