Cross-posted from: https://feddit.de/post/9814393
As first reported in the Telegraph, FSU member and University College London (UCL) academic Michelle Shipworth has been banned from teaching her own course, after a Chinese student complained that discussing modern slavery in China was too “provocative”. Incredibly, UCL sided with students who said they were “distressed” by her handling of the topic, and imposed a raft of restrictions on Michelle in order to ensure their courses remained “commercially viable” to Chinese students.
FSU Director Dr Ben Jones spoke to Michelle about her ordeal, and the shocking extent to which UCL has now curtailed her academic freedom – the full interview is available below.
Michelle Shipworth is an Associate Professor at UCL’s Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources, and has taught at the institution since 2009.
Michelle found herself under investigation after a seminar last October examining data from the Global Slavery Index 2014. The seminar forms part of her ‘Data Detectives’ training module, and is designed to prepare students for an assignment which external examiners have described as “particularly innovative” and “excellent”, and her Faculty’s teaching lead has previously stated is worthy of a teaching award.
“My parents didn’t pay through the nose for me to study my own culture at a prestigious foreign university for them to say things that go against the party line. I didn’t come here to learn, I came here for networking and a door-opening piece of paper!”