Academic Freedom Committee statement

The Academic Freedom Committee notes with grave concern recent instances of threats to academic freedom. In January, threats made by the Rhodes Must Fall collective to the Communications and Marketing Department, regarding the CMD's “Striking 2015 images at Molly Blackburn” exhibition, led to the Department concerned capitulating to these threats and removing the exhibition. In March, an RMF exhibition was itself disrupted by the TransCollective.

The AFC considers these threats and actions to be assaults on the deeply-held values of academic freedom that lie at the core of both the university, and the society in which we live. We urge the university authorities to not allow threats and intimidation to stifle academic debate, and we urge members of the university community, where possible, to stand up against assaults on our academic freedom, and to defend the space for intellectually robust and fair debate.

The Academic Freedom Committee, UCT

Read more:

• CMD response to the AFC statement