Cambridge University’s business school is seeking to provide “leadership advancement” and “innovation management” to Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry despite issues over its federal government’s record on human rights and environment change, the Guardian has learned.Cambridge’s management
has authorized a proposition by the university’s Judge business school to form a”memorandum of understanding “with the ministry for services and training, after a preliminary introduction by the UK’s Ministry of Defence.Senior academics explained the proposal as”horrifying”and
a betrayal of Cambridge University’s dedications to liberty of expression.Documents seen by the Guardian state that a contract “would set initial objectives and terms for prospective collaborations to establish executive education, innovation management, leadership advancement and health care administration techniques, working specifically with the civilian administration of the [Saudi defence ministry]”The university’s press workplace declined to comment and passed inquiries to business school. A representative for the business school stated: “Cambridge Judge company school has not signed such an MoU [memorandum of comprehending] with the Saudi Arabia defence ministry.”But Judge company school officials told Cambridge’s committee on benefactions and external and legal affairs, which scrutinises financing and
research study proposals for reputational risk, that it”was asking for permission to participate in a memorandum of understanding”with the ministry.The benefactions committee, chaired by the vice-chancellor, Prof Deborah Prentice, approved the request by a majority vote at its conference in January. It stated an agreement” would in principle be appropriate “but required the committee to be sought advice from on private contracts.Confidential minutes of the conference program committee members revealed concerns over the Saudi federal government’s “record on human rights and climate modification … and the capability of the university to safely preserve its staff’s
scholastic liberties”. A senior academic who sits on Cambridge’s university council said:” This is horrifying. The University of Cambridge’s values are to secure’flexibility of thought and expression’ and’freedom from discrimination’. Instead of fighting for our
principles, we’re selling them out to the most murderous program in the world. “The concept that our academics would be safe in a nation that arbitrarily sends to prison and murders those who dare diverge from state dogma is outrageous and disgusting. It’s a total betrayal of what we must mean”. UK universities frequently sell consultancy and training to foreign federal governments, with private agreements running into countless pounds. However the proposition to deal with the Saudi defence ministry has stirred alarm offered its participation in local disputes including in Iran and Yemen.An”executive MBA”at the Judge organization school charges tuition costs of ₤ 98,000, while a”international executive MBA”beginning in January charges ₤ 107,000. David Whitaker, business school’s director of alumni relations and external engagement, informed the benefactions committee:”The proposal aligned with the university
‘s mission to benefit society through education and was strategically lined up with the UK government. “The committee was told:” Strong mitigations remained in location to secure versus reputational danger, including focus within the draft MoU of its civilian-only scope, and keeping in mind that any future funded contracts might be contracted with the [Saudi government’s] Institute of Public Administration, rather than the MoD.”Those on the committee promoting
for the deal claimed it used” an opportunity to impact modification positively within the [Saudi] government”. Darragh O’Reilly, a student agent on the university’s governing council, stated:”Cutting a deal with a foreign military is a really serious error of judgment. Cambridge’s special university democracy, with its delicate checks and balances, is on the edge of collapse. “I am deeply fretted that the university regulator is asleep at the wheel. Our governing statutes are being constantly reinterpreted by senior staff, there is an increasingly unpleasant environment in our council conferences [and] the accountability systems are broken. “