Department for Education convenes summit as analysis shows 17 institutions yet to adopt antisemitism definition
The minister for further and higher education has again urged universities to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism, with 17 higher education providers in England still yet to do so.
Michelle Donelan made the plea as the Department for Education convened a summit on antisemitism on campus, taking place on 26 January and to be attended by vice-chancellors, university representatives and Jewish rights groups.
“I am horrified by the very thought of even one incident of antisemitism on campus—it has no place within any of our world-leading universities,” Donelan said ahead of the summit, at which attendees will discuss what more can be done to tackle antisemitism within universities.
“I will work hand-in-hand with the sector to take forward commitments agreed to today and ensure providers have the right tools to tackle this issue.”
Donelan also urged “those few universities” yet to sign up to the IHRA’s definition to “do so now”. “Without a universal recognition of antisemitism, we cannot hope for its abolition,” she added.
Ministers have repeatedly called for universities to adopt the definition since, in October 2020, then education secretary Gavin Williamson said institutions that did not do so by Christmas that year risked losing funding.
Slow progress
In November, the Office for Students published a list of those providers that had signed up to the IHRA definition. Using that data, Research Professional News published the names of the 18 members of Universities UK based in England—the jurisdiction covered by the OfS—that had yet to do so.
In the two months since that list was published, just one more institution—Bournemouth University—has been added to the list of signatories, meaning there are still 17 institutions not included on the OfS list (see below).
Also speaking ahead of today’s summit, Nina Freedman, president of the Union of Jewish Students, said she hoped the meeting would be “the first step in a collaborative plan to combat antisemitism in higher education”.
“Antisemitism awareness training is a vital and effective tool for rooting out antisemitism in the higher education sector,” she added. “We hope to empower as many people as possible to recognise and call out antisemitism where they see it in any form.”
Institutions yet to adopt the IHRA definition, according to the OfS:
- The Courtauld Institute of Art
- Falmouth University
- Goldsmiths, University of London
- Kingston University London
- Leeds Beckett University
- Norwich University of the Arts
- Oxford Brookes University
- Plymouth Marjon University
- Royal College of Art
- Soas, University of London
- University of Buckingham
- University for the Creative Arts
- University of Cumbria
- University of Greenwich
- University of Northampton
- University of Reading
- University of the Arts London