Overview
- Sheffield Hallam acknowledged it had restricted Professor Laura Murphy’s China forced-labour research and issued an apology affirming support for academic freedom.
- The university cited a lack of professional indemnity insurance and a related defamation case over a 2023 report as reasons it halted publication of Murphy’s work.
- University officials and documents describe pressure linked to China, including intelligence visits to staff in mainland offices and long-running blocks on the university’s websites in China.
- China-focused academics told the Guardian they face death threats, smear campaigns and sanctions, and they say financial reliance on Chinese students is driving self-censorship and risk-averse decisions.
- The Times reported that counterterrorism police are looking into whether Sheffield Hallam administrators bowed to foreign pressure, as the UK government and the Office for Students warn institutions not to yield to overseas interference.