BRISMES Committee on Academic Freedom
The BRISMES Committee on Academic Freedom was set up to monitor and defend academic freedom in the research, study and teaching of Middle East Studies in the UK and anywhere in the world, including in academic institutions in the Middle East and North Africa.
To learn more about how the committee works, please see the Terms of Reference.
The current Chair of the BRISMES Committee on Academic Freedom is Lewis Turner (Senior Lecturer in International Politics, Newcastle University).
Latest Statement/Letter
The BRISMES Committee on Academic Freedom has written to Queen Mary University of London following reports of recent instructions to remove materials described as “pro-Palestine,” “anti-Israel,” or otherwise ‘personal political opinions’ from office doors and campus spaces. These instructions appear to have been communicated and implemented unevenly across different Schools, with varying justifications and scopes. We are troubled by the content of the instructions, the reasoning offered for them and their implementation, which appear to conflict with the protections for free speech and academic freedom set out in the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 and the OfS Regulatory Advice 24.
In light of these concerns, we urge QMUL to:
- Immediately suspend all current instructions and practices relating to the removal of political materials, pending a transparent review of their compatibility with the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 and OfS Regulatory Advice 24, including how these measures have been implemented across different Schools.
- Clarify to staff and students that criticism of Israeli state policy and support for Palestinian rights are not in themselves antisemitic.
- Invite open discussion with staff and students to restore confidence in QMUL’s commitment to academic freedom.
7 January 2026
Previous Statements
Please find here the list of statements published by the Committee on Academic Freedom.
Previous Letters
Please find here the list of public letters published by the Committee on Academic Freedom.
Database of Expertise
The Database of Expertise in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies provides a publicly available list of MENA experts with their research and areas of expertise.
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