Academic freedom under threat by Universities Australia decision

Earlier this week, Universities Australia, the peak body that represents the 39 Australian universities including Curtin, agreed on a working definition of anti-semitism that leaves the door open to students and staff being disciplined for criticism of Israel and Zionism.

The Guild shares with Curtin a zero-tolerance approach to anti-semitic behaviour and to discrimination against all peoples.

However, students and staff must have freedom of speech to share their views about policies, actions and ideologies that are of concern to them. This applies to Israel and all countries.

The Guild is concerned that the Universities Australia working definition will pave the way for censorship and a culture of fear among students and staff and opposes the adoption of any policy that inhibits the rights of students and staff to criticize Israel and Zionism.

The Guild has communicated these concerns directly with the Vice Chancellor.

The Vice Chancellor has confirmed that criticism of Israel and Zionism is not inherently anti-semetic and that Curtin University will not pursue disciplining of students or staff who criticise Zionism , Israel or any other country and its policies.  At Curtin, our focus remains on how we respect and treat each other and members of the wider community.

The Vice Chancellor has said that any definition of anti-semitism introduced into the Higher Education Standards Panel (HESP) will require comprehensive engagement with students and staff and that the working definition recommended by Universities Australia will need to be assessed against the requirement for free speech and academic freedom. 

Universities need to be bastions of academic freedom and critical inquiry and the Guild is committed to working with students and staff to ensure this remains a core tenant of policy at Curtin University.

The Universities Australia media statement is below 

https://universitiesaustralia.edu.au/media-item/statement-on-racism/