End of student protest in Old College Quad   

At around 10pm on the evening of Friday 7 June, protesters who had been occupying Old College Quad removed their tents and departed the area.  

We appreciate that the protests have been peaceful and respectful. We value the contributions of all those associated with the protest and take seriously our responsibility to understand the views of everyone in our community, while recognising that many students and staff have differing views on our activities and approach.

We continue to listen to all concerns as we take action, at pace, to review our investments and ensure that they align with our values.   

My previous statement from 30 May set out the working groups that have already been established and the meetings that have taken place over the last few weeks with student and staff representation.

These will consider our definition of armaments and our approach to investments in the international context, with regard to UN Principles for Responsible Investment and our University’s values.

We have also instructed our fund manager to make no new direct purchase in Alphabet and Amazon stock for a period of at least three months.  

All staff and students are invited to contribute through the consultation on our responsible investment policy which opened on 31 May.  

Professor Peter Mathieson  

Principal and Vice-Chancellor  

8 June 2024