In brief
Recent disclosures have shed light on how Sheffield Hallam University faced intimidation from Chinese authorities to halt crucial human rights research led by Professor Laura Murphy. This two-year pressure aimed at curbing academic inquiry into allegations of forced labor against Uyghurs in Xinjiang has raised alarm over the potential erosion of academic freedom in UK institutions. In the face of this intimidation, the university eventually restricted Murphy's research despite acknowledging its importance, leading to her legal action against them. The case underscores the vulnerabilities faced by universities in navigating foreign pressures amid financial dependencies.
China waged a campaign of harassment and intimidation directed at a UK university to get it to shut down sensitive research into alleged human rights abuses, documents seen by the BBC show.
Sheffield Hallam University staff in China were threatened by individuals described by them as being from China's National Security Service who demanded the research being done in Sheffield be halted.
And access to the university's websites from China was blocked, impeding its ability to recruit Chinese students, in a campaign of threats and intimidation lasting more than two years.
In an internal email from July 2024, university officials stated that attempting to retain the business in China and publication of the research are now untenable bedfellows.
When the UK government learned of the situation, the then Foreign Secretary David Lammy issued a warning to his Chinese counterpart that it would not tolerate attempts to suppress academic freedoms at UK universities, the BBC understands.
The issue was also raised with China's most senior education minister.
China was seeking to halt research by Laura Murphy, professor of human rights and contemporary slavery at Sheffield Hallam, into allegations that Uyghur Muslims in the north-western region of Xinjiang were subject to forced labour.
In late 2024, following pressure from the Chinese state and a separate defamation lawsuit against the university, Sheffield Hallam decided not to publish a final piece of research by Prof Murphy and her team into forced labour.
And in early 2025, university administrators informed her that she could not continue with her research into supply chains and forced labour in China.
Murphy subsequently initiated legal action against the university for failing in its duty to protect her academic freedom.
Sheffield Hallam has now apologized to Prof Murphy and expressed commitment to freedom of speech and academic freedom. However, concerns about the vulnerability of UK universities to foreign pressures remain highlighted, as further actions may be needed to assure the safeguarding of academic pursuits devoid of external influence.
