{"id":28491,"date":"2023-12-16T12:43:26","date_gmt":"2023-12-16T12:43:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/republicancommunist.org\/blog\/?p=28491"},"modified":"2023-12-16T12:59:19","modified_gmt":"2023-12-16T12:59:19","slug":"revealed-281m-of-secret-cash-poured-into-uk-universities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/republicancommunist.org\/blog\/2023\/12\/16\/revealed-281m-of-secret-cash-poured-into-uk-universities\/","title":{"rendered":"Revealed: \u00a3281m of secret cash poured into UK universities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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The following article by Jenna Corderoy and Billy Stockwell was first posted by openDemocracy<\/a>. It shows that \u00a0the UK’s \u00a0top universities privately lobbied the government to keep secret the names of wealthy foreign donors. Russell Group<\/a> leaders lobbied the government to keep names of foreign donors secret.<\/strong><\/p>\n

REVEALED: \u00a3281 OF SECRET CASH POURED INTO UK UNIVERSITIES<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

An 18-month investigation found more than \u00a3281m in anonymous donations has poured into so-called \u2018Russell Group\u2019 universities since 2017, much of it from foreign donors.<\/p>\n

The lobbying campaign saw Cambridge University\u2019s former vice chancellor tell a government adviser of his \u201cdismay\u201d at attempts to improve transparency. He said the university\u2019s fundraising abilities could be \u201cseverely impacted\u201d unless foreign benefactors remained secret.<\/p>\n

Other universities privately wrote of \u201ccelebration\u201d after learning that they could keep the identity of givers under wraps.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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But records seen by openDemocracy reveal that university bosses have courted authoritarian regimes, controversial companies and \u201cChinese billionaires\u201d for funding.<\/a><\/p>\n

In one case, Oxford University accepted a mysterious \u00a310m donation that was \u201cfacilitated\u201d by the president of Azerbaijan\u2019s sister-in-law. The university is so insistent on keeping the donor out of public scrutiny that it is going to court to block a Freedom of Information request from openDemocracy.<\/p>\n

The identities of 68 Oxford donors have been kept anonymous since 2017, including at least ten who gave more than \u00a32m each.<\/p>\n

At Cambridge University, documents reveal its major benefactors have previously included fossil fuel giants, tobacco and arms companies. But the university is now fighting to keep a list of its recent donors secret.<\/p>\n

Conservative MP Robin Walker, who chairs Parliament\u2019s education select committee, told openDemocracy: \u201cUniversities are hugely important institutions and as they are in receipt of large amounts of public money it is beholden on them to be transparent about their other sources of funding \u2013 and particularly those from overseas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anonymous donations<\/strong><\/p>\n

Documents show how the Russell Group\u2019s 24 universities \u2013 often regarded as the UK\u2019s most respected higher education institutions \u2013 have repeatedly agreed to hide the identities of wealthy donors.<\/p>\n

Although university officials are usually aware of a donor\u2019s identity, they often promise to keep it private.<\/p>\n

Oxford University alone accepted more than \u00a3106m in anonymous donations \u2013 the highest amount of any Russell Group university. This came from just 68 donors, each giving an average of more than \u00a31.5m. When asked what the money was spent on, the university merely referenced general areas such as \u201cmedical science\u201d and \u201csports\u201d.<\/p>\n

Cambridge University refused to disclose the exact amount it has received in anonymous donations, but said the figure was between \u00a325m and \u00a349.9m, with the money going towards laboratories and a business school.<\/p>\n

King\u2019s College London received over \u00a328m from secret funders, while Durham, Manchester and Edinburgh also accepted large sums.<\/p>\n

While most donations were from the UK, others were from wealthy individuals and companies abroad, including China, Switzerland, Hong Kong and Singapore.<\/p>\n

Lobbying campaign<\/strong><\/p>\n

Last year, MPs\u00a0tried to improve transparency\u00a0over overseas donations. Led by Conservative backbencher Jesse Norman, they introduced proposals to force universities to publish the names of any foreign donor who gives a university more than \u00a350,000.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, the move failed: it was massively\u00a0watered down\u00a0by the government and Norman\u00a0described\u00a0it as a \u201cmissed opportunity\u201d.<\/p>\n

Emails obtained by openDemocracy now expose a coordinated lobbying campaign by university bosses in a bid to keep their funding secret.<\/p>\n

Writing to a government adviser, Cambridge University\u2019s vice-chancellor at the time, Stephen Toope, said the proposals would \u201chave a hugely damaging impact on our philanthropy\u201d.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cMany donors, especially those from countries that place emphasis on privacy as important, may feel that their giving is a private matter and expect high levels of donor privacy to be upheld by the institutions that they give to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Officials from Cambridge University also held private meetings with a number of special advisers in Whitehall.<\/p>\n

Toope added that the transparency proposals would result in \u201ca very substantial additional burden of red-tape\u201d.<\/p>\n

John Heathershaw, professor of international relations at the University of Exeter who helped develop the proposals, said the amendment was needed \u201cto make influence on research and reputation laundering visible\u201d. He added: \u201cIt is not excessive and was modelled on a legal requirement which has existed in the United States for nearly 40 years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Colin Riordan \u2013 who was then Cardiff University\u2019s vice chancellor \u2013 spoke of \u201ccelebration\u201d after finding out the law would not apply in Wales. It came after he consulted the Russell Group for advice.<\/p>\n

A Cardiff official later wrote: \u201cI have reiterated to the Russell Group that we share wider concerns being raised about the amendment, and they will continue to keep us appraised of their work to lobby against it.\u201d<\/p>\n

When questioned by openDemocracy, a spokesperson claimed: \u201cWe do not accept anonymous donations and all donors are subject to our due diligence checks. However, we respect their right to remain anonymous if they so choose.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lobbying efforts were also made by Universities UK, an advocacy organisation for higher education bosses. An email raised \u201cconcerns\u201d with the transparency proposals, adding: \u201c[We] are in conversations with the Department for Education and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy about its implications.\u201d<\/p>\n

A further email from Universities UK, sent in June last year before the law was signed off in its watered down form, said: \u201cWe will continue to engage with the DfE on our concerns about the Bill, and a parliamentary briefing will be circulated to MPs in advance of the debates\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Responding to our investigation, a senior legal researcher at the campaign group Spotlight on Corruption, George Havenhand, called for \u201cfar greater transparency\u201d around foreign donations.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen universities accept secretive donations from dodgy companies and unsavoury regimes, they open the door to undue influence and potentially to laundering the proceeds of crime,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u2018Chinese billionaires\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

The lobbying campaign came amid a huge wave of controversial donations, including money from authoritarian countries where academic freedom is under threat.<\/p>\n

Last year, openDemocracy\u00a0revealed\u00a0large sums that Oxford had accepted from sources in Russia. It was also\u00a0reported\u00a0that universities had accepted millions from institutions linked to the Chinese military.<\/p>\n

Analysis by openDemocracy now reveals that Russell Group universities took at least \u00a3139m from Chinese sources between 2017 and 2023. This includes\u00a0large sums\u00a0from Huawei, which has been banned from the UK\u2019s 5G phone network over security concerns.<\/p>\n

Sheffield University told us it had received a research grant worth more than \u00a3100,000 in 2017 from China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, which has been\u00a0accused of\u00a0involvement in the mass surveillance of Uighur Muslims. In 2021, the University of Manchester\u00a0cancelled\u00a0an agreement with the company.<\/p>\n

And Exeter University received donations from Xi Jinping\u2019s alma mater, Tsinghua University, where academics have been\u00a0accused\u00a0of being the \u201cideological architects\u201d of Uighur oppression.<\/p>\n

Emails obtained by openDemocracy also shed light on fundraising discussions held by Oxford University in 2019. In one message, the then vice chancellor was briefed on the university\u2019s \u201cability to draw Chinese government funds to the UK\u201d, saying that \u201cfunds are now flowing\u201d.<\/p>\n

It adds: \u201cYour office is currently looking at potential dates to host the Chinese billionaires.\u201d<\/p>\n

13.12.23<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

__________<\/strong><\/p>\n

also see:-<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Uighurs and the Palestinians \u2013 Chinese student, International Marxist Humanist Organisation<\/a><\/p>\n

Omnicide \u2013 Mike small, bella caledonia<\/a><\/p>\n

How big business took over the Labour Party- Adam Ramsay, openDemocracy<\/a><\/p>\n

Charity loophole lets Us donors give far right donors $272m in secret<\/a><\/p>\n

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The following article by Jenna Corderoy and Billy Stockwell was first posted by openDemocracy. It shows that \u00a0the UK’s \u00a0top universities privately lobbied the government to keep secret the names of wealthy foreign donors. Russell Group leaders lobbied the government to keep names of foreign donors secret. REVEALED: \u00a3281 OF SECRET CASH POURED INTO UK…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1843,1861,1846,1868,1862,8830],"tags":[9255],"class_list":["post-28491","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-how-capitalists-organise","category-alienation-self-determination","category-british-imperialism","category-against-imperialism","category-ideology-and-religion","category-chinese-east-asia","tag-author-jenna-corderoy-billy-stockwell"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/mastodon.scot\/@rcfscotland\/111590153135397687","error":""},"views":2236,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/republicancommunist.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28491","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/republicancommunist.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/republicancommunist.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/republicancommunist.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/republicancommunist.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28491"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/republicancommunist.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28491\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28497,"href":"http:\/\/republicancommunist.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28491\/revisions\/28497"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/republicancommunist.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28491"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/republicancommunist.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28491"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/republicancommunist.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28491"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}