Scotland’s hate crime act is stifling academic freedom
From our UK edition
For the past few days, I’ve been hoping to receive an email from the two universities in Scotland where I’m enrolled in a joint PhD programme. So far, though, I’ve not heard from either of them. It seems obvious that all of this is creating a climate of fear and stifling academic discourse Since the war in Gaza broke out, students have received weekly, and sometimes even daily, updates about the conflict. But when it comes to Scotland's new Hate Crime Act, which came into force this week, there has been virtual radio silence. This is despite there being deep concerns about the impact the Act will have on free speech and academic freedom at universities. Students would at least like to know if they are going to be reported to the police for speaking about their research.
