Update on protests around responsible investments
A statement from the Principal.
On 14 June a number of protestors blocked access to Old College in an escalation of their actions regarding the University’s approach to responsible investment in the context of the ongoing conflict in Israel and Palestine.
We fully support the right to take part in lawful, peaceful protest, and we appreciate that the protests before today had been peaceful and respectful. We are therefore concerned to see today’s actions and the impact this may have on our University community.
We have acted in good faith and engaged with the protestors to listen to and respond to their demands, at pace. A number of meetings have taken place over the last few weeks with student and staff representatives to discuss the definition of armaments and how that affects the University’s investment portfolio. I strongly dispute any accusations that we are misrepresenting these discussions and are not being transparent with University Court.
A full list of how the University has engaged with our staff and student communities, including the actions taken, is available below:
On 11 June, University Executive discussed the report from the short-life working group on definitions of armaments. A University Court meeting is being held on Monday 17 June, where the report from the working group will be discussed. Court has also been provided with further contextual information in relation to responsible investment and divestment requests. The provision of this documentation to Court was planned and agreed before the escalated action today.
University Court is the University’s governing body and we will not pre-empt these discussions. This is an ongoing process and I hope that this dialogue with our student and staff community will continue in a spirit of understanding and collaboration rather than disruption and escalation.
As mentioned previously, 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
14 June 2024