Pro-Palestinian protesters are occupying the lawn in front of King’s College. The College and University are operating as normal.
Pro-Palestinian protesters are occupying the lawn in front of King’s College. The College and University are operating as normal.
The University is fully committed to academic freedom and freedom of speech within the law and we acknowledge the right to protest. We ask everyone in our community to treat each other with understanding and empathy. Our priority is the safety of all staff and students.
We will not tolerate antisemitism, Islamophobia and any other form of racial or religious hatred.
Professor Bhaskar Vira, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education outlines the University's engagement with students:
The University has been in regular and ongoing contact with students who have been impacted by the tragic events in Gaza and Palestine. We support freedom of speech and protest within the law. From the first day of this protest, with my colleague Professor Kamal Munir, we have been extremely clear that we would be happy to talk with our students and engage with them. To date we have received only anonymous emails. We remain ready for constructive engagement with our students, but it is impossible to have a conversation with an anonymous group.
University response to the protesters
The following email was sent to the protesters by the Vice-Chancellor's Office on Monday 13 May at 5:25pm:
This is an acknowledgement of two messages received by the Vice-Chancellor’s Office, on Tuesday 7 May at 12:48 pm, and on Saturday 11 May at 7:33 pm, addressed to the Senior Leadership Team of the University.
The University has been in regular and ongoing contact with students who have been impacted by the tragic events that have been unfolding in Gaza and Palestine over the academic year. We firmly support academic freedom, freedom of speech and the right to protest, all within the law. We welcome the peaceful nature of the protest so far, and welcome the community guidelines that have governed the presence of students on King’s Parade.
We are open to constructive dialogue with our students. There are a number of formal representative channels for such dialogue, which include the elected Students' Union, as well as Student Societies who have been speaking to us throughout the year. We have also engaged in many direct conversations with our students to understand how we might respond to student needs, and those of our wider community.
We only have a mandate to engage with our students, rather than to have a dialogue with an anonymous email address, which is all that we have received so far. We look forward to further constructive engagement with our students, and remain ready for these conversations, as indicated in our immediate in-person response to the protests on Monday 6 May.
Protest guidance
All members of our community should feel safe and we will never permit any form of discrimination, intimidation, incitement, bullying or harassment.
Guidance is available to help staff and students to exercise their right to protest in line with relevant University policies, including our expectations of behaviour and treating others with dignity and respect.
Guidance on demonstrations and protest
Support for students
Students who are participating in the protest, and those who might be impacted by it, are encouraged to seek support from their Colleges, via their tutors, and student support services in the University and in Departments and Faculties.
Sanctuary and scholarship support
At the University of Cambridge, we welcome applications from all backgrounds, including refugees and asylum seekers.
We are a welcoming and international community and the city of Cambridge itself has City of Sanctuary status.
Refugees, asylum seekers or anyone from a forced migration background may have specific concerns when considering or starting university, and it’s important to us that they feel supported during this time. We recognise that you may have experienced barriers and difficulties that can have a significant impact on educational opportunities and outcomes.
We hope that the resources below are useful for your application. You may also be interested in the University’s Refugee Hub, run by the Centre for the Study of Global Human Movement.
If you have qualifications obtained outside of the UK, visit the international qualifications page to see whether we can accept your qualifications. If your qualifications don’t meet our minimum requirements, please contact the department to explain your status and to check whether they will still consider an application from you.
The Rowan Williams Cambridge Studentship is a full-cost scholarship for applicants who face severe barriers in accessing higher education. For more information, visit the Cambridge Trust website and Cambridge Refugee Scholarship Campaign site, as well as their studentship guide.
Applicants with asylum seeker, refugee or humanitarian protection status are eligible for an application fee waiver.
If you are unsure of your fee status, you can find advice from the UK Council for International Student Affairs. You may also wish to visit the Student Action for Refugees scholarship list.
Cambridge supports the Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA), an organisation providing urgent assistance to academics facing immediate danger, forced exile, or who choose to continue working in their home countries despite significant risks.
The University is committed to supporting CARA Fellowships for academics at risk and welcomes applications from such individuals.
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