Your report (Cambridge University seeks deal with Saudi defence ministry despite rights concerns, 11 May) should be a lightning rod for anyone who cares about academic freedom in this country. According to it, Cambridge’s leadership has approved a proposal by the university’s Judge business school to form a “memorandum of understanding” with Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry.
While this has yet to be formalised, the idea itself is repugnant. The Saudi government is among the most repressive in the world. Last year – a bumper year for executions there – a journalist was among those killed simply for reporting. Scores more remain behind bars all for speaking out about abuses. It is hard to see how any deal with the petrol state would not come at a cost to us. Even if an agreement is fleshed out to state academic freedom would be protected, self-censorship has a terrible habit of creeping in when money is on the line.
