Cambridge University’s service school is seeking to supply “management development” and “development management” to Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry regardless of concerns over its government’s record on human rights and climate modification, the Guardian has learned.Cambridge’s leadership
has authorized a proposition by the university’s Judge service school to form a”memorandum of understanding “with the ministry for services and training, after an initial intro by the UK’s Ministry of Defence.Senior academics explained the proposition as”terrible”and
a betrayal of Cambridge University’s dedications to freedom of expression.Documents seen by the Guardian state that an arrangement “would set preliminary objectives and terms for possible collaborations to establish executive education, development management, leadership advancement and healthcare administration methods, working solely with the civilian administration of the [Saudi defence ministry]”The university’s press office decreased to comment and passed queries to the business school. A spokesperson for the business school stated: “Cambridge Judge business school has not signed such an MoU [memorandum of comprehending] with the Saudi Arabia defence ministry.”However Judge company school authorities told Cambridge’s committee on benefactions and external and legal affairs, which scrutinises financing and
research study propositions for reputational threat, that it”was requesting consent to enter into a memorandum of understanding”with the ministry.The benefactions committee, chaired by the vice-chancellor, Prof Deborah Prentice, approved the demand by a majority vote at its meeting in January. It said an agreement” would in principle be appropriate “but needed the committee to be spoken with on individual contracts.Confidential minutes of the meeting show committee members expressed concerns over the Saudi government’s “record on human rights and climate change … and the ability of the university to securely keep its personnel’s
scholastic flexibilities”. A senior academic who sits on Cambridge’s university council stated:” This is terrible. The University of Cambridge’s worths are to safeguard’freedom of thought and expression’ and’freedom from discrimination’. Rather of defending our
concepts, we’re offering them out to the most murderous regime worldwide. “The idea that our academics would be safe in a nation that arbitrarily sends to prison and murders those who attempt diverge from state dogma is shameless and horrible. It’s an overall betrayal of what we must stand for”. UK universities routinely sell consultancy and training to foreign governments, with private contracts facing countless pounds. However the proposal to work with the Saudi defence ministry has stirred alarm given its participation in local conflicts including in Iran and Yemen.An”executive MBA”at the Judge service school charges tuition charges of ₤ 98,000, while a”worldwide executive MBA”beginning in January charges ₤ 107,000. David Whitaker, business school’s director of alumni relations and external engagement, told the benefactions committee:”The proposal lined up with the university
‘s objective to benefit society through education and was tactically lined up with the UK government. “The committee was informed:” Strong mitigations were in location to secure against reputational danger, consisting of focus within the draft MoU of its civilian-only scope, and keeping in mind that any future financed contracts could be contracted with the [Saudi federal government’s] Institute of Public Administration, rather than the MoD.”Those on the committee promoting
for the offer declared it offered” a chance to impact modification favorably within the [Saudi] federal government”. Darragh O’Reilly, a trainee agent on the university’s governing council, said:”Cutting an offer with a foreign military is a really severe error of judgment. Cambridge’s special university democracy, with its delicate checks and balances, is on the verge of collapse. “I am deeply stressed that the university regulator is asleep at the wheel. Our governing statutes are being continuously reinterpreted by senior staff, there is a significantly uncomfortable environment in our council conferences [and] the responsibility systems are broken. “