UK universities that commit to tackling antisemitism will be eligible for a new gold standard accreditation scheme starting this autumn.
The initiative is being launched by the Intra-Communal Professorial Group – the organisation chaired by senior lawyer, Professor Anthony Julius, to research, record and analyse the experiences of Jewish students, academics and staff on British university campuses.
The project is the first of its kind globally and aims to incentivise universities to take concrete action to address antisemitism and provide a benchmark for adaptation in other countries.
Grant funding has already been secured for the first phase: a legal research project to assess fifty UK universities and provide ten in-depth case studies.
Following the review, the ICPG will draft a full report and create an interactive toolkit to assist students in deciding which universities to apply to.
Anthony Julius, chair of the ICPG said: “Securing charitable status means that we can develop our mission, conceived during 2024, and prompted by the hostile responses in universities to the 7 October 2023 horrors. The ICPG will be a critical friend to university leaders giving them the tools, knowledge and support to enforce a zero-tolerance policy against antisemitism on campus.”
Anthony Julius
Rosa Freedman, professor of law, conflict and global development at the University of Reading and ICPG deputy chair, added: “The ICPG has provided, for the first time, a like-minded community of academics, a safe space to discuss antisemitism with others who understand the university context, and the hope that together we can deliver positive change.
“Many of our members have become the ‘go-to person’ for their university leadership and students on issues faced by the Jewish and Israeli community on campus. This has become a vital role for them and for the membership.”
The ICPG is made up of 25 academics from universities including Cambridge, Oxford, the London School of Economics and Reading.
A year since its launch in April 2024, it has been granted charitable status and increased its membership to 80 individuals from 35 institutions, representing around one fifth of UK universities.
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