Posted: Oct 23, 2008 02:22 am EDT
(MountEverest.net) "Just a quickie to say that your 08/08/08 was awesome! I'm so impressed and so, well, jealous! My tiny contribution on Friday was just wearing a t-shirt that said 'time to free Tibet' to a class I was teaching here at Warwick University (UK). I didn't get involved in any discussions or say anything, just wore a t-shirt. And guess what..."

The Polish translator

Piotr Morawski's GI & GII debrief, updates on "Tres Pedros" - this Karakoram season Maga Kijak translated most Polish climbing dispatches for ExplorersWeb. We had no idea she was interested in the Tibet issue as well.

But after we had flown our "Free Tibet" banner over Manhattan on the Olympics inauguration day, along with flags unfurled on peaks by international climbers for Peruffo’s project - Maga's email arrived, and the news were not good.

"Monday morning I get summoned to see the boss who in a very official manner tells me that I committed a 'serious professional misconduct' as (according to hearsay and not any formal complaint) some Chinese students were 'upset'! And I thought that the UK was a free country where the right to free speech was almost taken for granted," Maga wrote.

Following 9 years at the University, Maga felt forced to resign.

"I was born and grew up in Poland and NEVER EVER thought that wearing a t-shirt saying 'time to free Tibet' is a crime here in the UK," she ended her note to ExWeb. "Especially at a university which has a 'free Tibet' society and even a branch of 'Amnesty International'... Ironic, isn't it?"

Warwick University Limited

According to various internet and media reports, Warwick is today the only UK University to generate more income through commercial activities than it receives from Government grants, which has allowed it to undergo rapid growth.

Warwick was reportedly one of the first UK universities to adopt a business approach to higher education; developing close links with the business community. This commercial approach has resulted in it being nicknamed "Warwick University Limited."

In an interview for the BBC, a University spokesman said: "I think in the future, education and industry need to become even more closely linked than they have been historically. As government funding changes, the replacement could well come through private funding from companies, individuals and grant-giving agencies."

By 2015; the University plans to attain greater international pre-eminence, and be placed in the top 50 of world universities, by using its "unique entrepreneurial spirit."

Prominent member of the Royal Geographical Society; Warwick Vice-Chancellor Professor Nigel Thrift holds general responsibility to ensure that the University complies with the terms and conditions specified by the Funding Council. Nigel lists "International Finance" as his personal interest, "currently, this involves work on the consolidation of income streams in order to produce new borrowing opportunities," states the University website.

The China connection

2006-2007 there were around 2000 Chinese students in Warwick University out of the total 16,646 (April 2008). The Chinese Students and Scholars Association at Warwick (CSSA Warwick) is the largest cultural society within the university.

Early 2008 CSSA launched "China Now at Warwick" - the largest festival of Chinese culture ever in the UK. CSSA President Yu Zeng said “We feel this is a great opportunity for us to promote the University as a future world leader and intellectual capital.” The event webpage links to the Chinese Olympics and "one World Week."

A Wikki entry states that a few years back, Warwick planned to open a branch in Singapore. According to the source, concerns about academic freedom, cost and freedom of speech for students, made students and academic staff to oppose the scheme which was abandoned, although a search for ties is continuing.

The societies - no reply

The University does not have a formal dress code and Maga didn't sign any papers limiting her freedom of expression. The teacher wrote that she was surprised at her treatment, "especially at a University which has a Free Tibet society and even a branch of Amnesty International."

ExWeb decided to check in with the societies listed on www.warwicksu.com for their view.

Our mail to Free Tibet bounced. So did our mail to 'Cultural Chinese'. 'China in Focus' went through but without reply. New email addresses provided by the page webmaster also went through, but rendered no reply. Amnesty International finally answered, requesting details. After we sent them over, Amnesty never came back to us.

"The boss" - no reply

ExWeb further sent questions to Rod Revell, the "boss" who according to Maga had accused her of serious professional misconduct, after he had heard second hand some students were upset.

ExplorersWeb asked Rod who exactly had complained; did the Chinese society have anything to do with it; and were Tibetan students (if any enrolled at the University) asked for their opinion? We asked if the Free Tibet and the Chinese student Society at Warwick exist at all, and how come a simple t-shirt had become such an issue? What exactly is considered "serious professional misconduct" and is Warwick double-faced; that is supporting freedoms only as long as there's no danger of losing money or favor with China?

No reply from Rod, but a few days later instead from head of department Helen Spencer-Oatey, referring us to the University Press Office. And this time at last, a reply came from Peter Dunn, Press and Media Relations Manager at Warwick.

University Media Relations

Peter wrote that the University already in August had written to Maga stating that - while it was inappropriate for her to wear a T-shirt expressing a political standpoint in that class - the action should not have been described as 'serious professional misconduct'.

Peter further wrote that teachers should consider how their actions impact students and not use this position of power. Then came a lengthy explanation about the Singapore branch. The University was not "forced" to do anything, Dunn wrote. "It [Warwick] has had many other long established education links with Singapore and I am sure will develop more in the future - the full campus idea was simply not something that we felt fitted with our overall plans."

As for the societies, Peter stated that "it is a separate web site run by our independent Students' Union." (Ed note: find the full reply in the Italics section below.)

Support - from China

"Well, he doesn't really answer any of the questions, does he?" commented Maga. "It wasn't 'the University' that wrote to me in August - it was Helen. Rod has never bothered to email me."

"I still don't know who complained and what was the nature of this complaint, so I still don't know what was 'the impact on students'- all I've had was support from students. I still don't see how me wearing that t-shirt could have 'offended' anybody and I don't feel that I had ever abused my 'position of power'. Who in fact runs/sponsors the Chinese society is a separate issue I guess..."
Maga has had support from her students. Some told her they had been warned not to get involved, but still a significant number emailed her stating they love her class and hadn't even noticed what she was wearing that day.

Interestingly enough, one of the letters of support came from an unexpected source. A Chinese student, who wrote: "When I was in China, one of my teachers did the same thing at his class, nothing happened after that. I would like to consider that the UK is a free country no less than any other nations. So, if things can be accepted even in China, why not in the UK?"

Warwick University Finances:
Tuition fee: 15,000 pounds
Total University Income: £240.4m
HEFCE Grants: £54.9m
Tuition Fees: £64.3m
Research Grants and Contracts: £40m
£77.6m of the University's total income is currently derived from "earning" activities such as self-financing short courses, research contracts, management training centres, vacation conferences, retail and catering.

University reply to ExplorersWeb:

Thank you for your email

You are obviously in touch with Magda so I am surprised she has not already told you that the University has already written to her, back in August ,to say that, while it was inappropriate for her to wear a tee shirt expressing a political standpoint in that class, that that action should not have been described as 'serious professional misconduct'.

The University has not unreasonably asked Magda to consider how all our actions and behaviour can have a major impact on students and how we need to be very careful not to use this position of power. Whatever our own personal views and convictions, whether political, religious etc we need to think carefully over how any of our actions or behaviour affect the students in a class.

I do not understand what you mean when you say "Our research shows that a few years back, Warwick University was forced to abandon a plan to open a branch in Singapore, but attempts to establish links with Singapore are reportedly continuing" perhaps your research is this area was only limited to date as I think you may be referring in some partial way to the two year study the University undertook to examine the feasibility of opening a full campus in Singapore.

At the end of that study the University's own Senate decided that the study showed this was not a proposition that we wished to pursue further as a full campus was not a close enough fit with our plans for future academic development. I do not see how this suggests in any way the University was "forced" to do something. The University has had many other long established education links with Singapore and I am am sure will develop more in the future - the full campus idea was simply not something that we felt fitted with our overall plans.

I have no information about the societies you mention listed at http://www.warwicksu.com/societies/soclist - that is a separate web site run by our independent Students' Union and as those are Student Union societies you would therefore would have to ask the Students Union if you want any information about them.

Peter Dunn,
Press and Media Relations Manager
Communications Office, University House,
University of Warwick.

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