UQ students protest Ramsay Centre

 17 OCTOBER 5PM

University of Queensland St Lucia students and staff will be protesting at 5pm, Thursday October 18 outside a meeting of the University Senate, to appeal that they cancel talks with the Ramsay Centre of Western Civilisation. On Friday October 12, the University of Queensland submitted an Expression of Interest to the Ramsay Centre about establishing a bachelor’s degree in its name.

“The Ramsay Centre is a right-wing think tank funded by billionaire supporters of the Liberal Party,” protest organiser Priya De explained. “They think ‘western civilisation’ is under threat in universities from discussion about genocide, slavery and war: that is to say, a truthful telling of history. Ramsay’s outlook shares the sentiment of One Nation’s motion than nearly passed the Senate this week, condemning an imagined anti-white racism. This is the white supremacist ideology UQ is inviting on to campus.”

“Not only is the Ramsay Centre racist, it poses a significant threat to academic freedom,” Duncan Hart, humanities councillor in the UQ student union said, “UQ has admitted that they will allow the Ramsay Centre to be involved in staff employment, as well as accepting their recommendations as to the course content. Universities should be spaces for critical inquiry, not love-letters to Empire sponsored by wealthy benefactors.”

“UQ has justified their talks with Ramsay by saying it will fund the humanities,” Ash Zeller, Education Officer for the QLD Branch of the National Union of Students said. “This is why students should oppose higher education funding cuts, and actually fight for a free, publicly funded higher education system, paid for by taxing the rich. Otherwise, our education, and the humanities especially, are open to corporate influence.”

Students will be protesting outside the St Lucia Chancellery Building to urge the UQ Senate to follow the example set by the Australian National University and reject any further proceedings with the Ramsay Centre.