Chinese Intimidation Pushes UK University to Halt Human Rights Research

Mon Nov 03 2025 14:24:28 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Sheffield Hallam University faced pressure from the Chinese government to cease research into human rights abuses, leading to an investigation into academic freedom and foreign influence on UK education.

Documents reveal that Sheffield Hallam University faced intimidation from Chinese authorities to stop human rights research led by Professor Laura Murphy, who investigated allegations of forced labor against Uyghurs. Despite initial efforts to publish critical findings, including reports on the solar panel industry, the university succumbed to pressure, leading to a halt in research activities. The case raises serious concerns over academic freedom and the influence of foreign interests in UK universities.

China waged a campaign of harassment and intimidation directed at a UK university to get it to shut down sensitive research into alleged human rights abuses, documents seen by the BBC show.

Sheffield Hallam University staff in China were threatened by individuals described by them as being from China's National Security Service who demanded the research be halted.

Access to the university's websites from China was blocked, impeding its ability to recruit Chinese students, in a campaign of threats and intimidation lasting more than two years.

In an internal email from July 2024, university officials stated that attempting to retain the business in China and publication of the research are now untenable bedfellows. When the UK government learned of the case, then Foreign Secretary David Lammy warned his Chinese counterpart that the UK would not tolerate attempts to suppress academic freedoms.

The university faced increasing pressure from the Chinese state to halt research led by Professor Laura Murphy, who was investigating claims of forced labor against Uyghurs in Xinjiang.

China has faced accusations of crimes against humanity and possibly genocide against the Uyghur population, all of which it firmly denies.

In late 2024, following pressure from the Chinese state and a defamation lawsuit against the university, Sheffield Hallam decided not to publish Murphy's research on forced labor. By early 2025, university administrators told her she could no longer continue her research.

Following this, Murphy initiated legal action against the university for failing in its duty to protect her academic freedom, demanding access to relevant documents that revealed negotiations with a foreign government.

Sheffield Hallam later apologized to Professor Murphy and allowed her to resume her work, stating their earlier decision was based on a complex set of circumstances, including insurance issues.

The general secretary of the University and College Union expressed concern about the university's actions, calling for clarity on how it plans to protect academic freedom from foreign interference.

Despite the apology, the incident raises critical questions about the vulnerability of UK universities to external pressures that could compromise academic integrity.