The budget of the British elite University of Cambridge comprised more than two billion British pounds last year. If the university management has its way, a decent amount will be added soon: There are currently negotiations about by far the largest single donation in the history of the university, reports the »Guardian«. The newspaper relies on internal documents that it has been able to see.
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The deal should bring in 312 million pounds (about 363 million euros) – more than a seventh of the already lush annual budget. And over the next ten years, an additional £ 90 million (almost € 105 million) in staff funds would flow in. The origin of the hoped-for donation is also causing a stir: the money comes from the United Arab Emirates (VAR).
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The university has now confirmed the relevant negotiations. It is about a “possible strategic partnership” and the establishment of an innovation institute in the Emirates, which should focus on “sustainability, education, Islamic art and culture,” it says in one Declaration by the university. These conversations “arose from a shared commitment to create a more sustainable future by helping to solve some of the greatest challenges facing our planet.”
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“Greater global understanding”
The Emirates and the elite university are united in combating climate change and creating sustainable solutions to end the global economy’s dependence on fossil fuels. “The potential partnership will help prepare the education systems for a radically changing labor market,” added a spokesman for the goals of the cooperation. It is also about »promoting a greater global understanding through the appreciation of Islamic art and culture«.
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Critics, on the other hand, fear that the university will be corrupted by the record donation and lose its scientific independence. The planned cooperation is “a Faustian pact that should be of great importance for the entire British academic world”, Nicolas McGeehan of the human rights organization FairSquare Projects is quoted in the Guardian. The emirates are “a deeply illiberal state with a zero-tolerance attitude towards free expression and critical thinking.” The renowned university will lose part of its good reputation in order to polish up the bad reputation of the emirates in exchange for money.
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Jo Grady, general secretary of the British university union UCU, was also sharply criticized in the Guardian: “This is a clear case of a rich authoritarian state using its wealth to wash its reputation.” She referred to the case of Matthew Hedges, which attracted a lot of attention in the UK in 2018. The British doctoral student was arrested during a research stay in the VAR and later sentenced to life imprisonment for alleged espionage. After his pardon, he reported torture in prison.
Reputation Risks
According to the Guardian, the university is aware of the risks to its image. According to the report, concerns are expressed internally about a difference in values between the two countries, for example in the assessment of academic freedom and the autonomy of the planned joint institute. According to the documents, “We are aware of the recent treatment of British researchers and other visitors by the VAR, who reflect a dramatically different cultural and legal context than that to which our staff and students may be familiar.”
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The founding of the institute still has to be approved by the university’s board of directors, reports the Guardian. If the decision is positive, a virtual collaboration is initially planned, and later a real branch of the traditional British university in the United Arab Emirates. There, the university and »several educational, government and corporate partners in the VAR« will work together under a common brand name. Among other things, eight professorships, 24 positions for scientific staff and 42 scholarships for doctoral candidates are planned for the institute – this would also be a remarkable package of positions for the elite university with its over 6100 scientists.
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Jo Grady still hopes that the planned agreement will be overturned. “It would be shameful if Cambridge University were willing to be used in this way,” says the unionist.
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