Earlier this week I had the privilege of attending a meeting at the Houses of Parliament  hosted by The Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) to discuss inclusion in the universities sector as part of my role as the Girls’ School Association (GSA) Chair for the Higher Education and Futures Committee. As a school that prides itself on our commitment to inclusion, it was particularly valuable for me to see what world our students will be moving into once they leave our doors and head off to universities. There are certainly a lot of similarities in approach and in the issues we face around free speech and young people’s abilities to hear others’ views. 

One of the key themes that emerged was the notion of fairness and equal opportunity within higher education. Professor Tim Soutphommasane from the University of Oxford shared the view that the UK’s approach to inclusion must be distinct from that of the US. While the US is grappling with contentious debates around free speech and diversity, the UK must ensure that its universities promote both social understanding and academic freedom in a balanced way. 

Research completed by the University of Oxford and UCL show that people in the UK believe Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) initiatives lead to fairer outcomes (64%). It also showed that the “British public are five times more likely to say that EDI is a good, rather than a bad, thing…While nearly nine in ten think that free speech is one of the most important rights in the UK.” At the same time, there is a tension regarding the language used around EDI; 73% of participants reported feeling nervous about speaking out for fear of saying the wrong thing; a concern which highlights the complex balance universities must strike between supporting inclusivity and protecting open dialogue.

There was also an interesting focus on the changing dynamics of free speech within universities, especially in the context of recent US policies. A crackdown on certain EDI initiatives under the Trump administration will lead to cancelled conferences or restricted research to avoid controversy. This serves as a cautionary tale, reminding us of the fine line between promoting free speech and curbing the diversity of thought and debate. 

Professor Danny Dorling, also from the University of Oxford, shared fascinating research into how one can track the periods of progression and regression in EDI across long periods of time in the universities sector, citing the incredible changes in the 1960s for instance, particularly with the rise in female students at this time, and the impact this had on the universities sectors 30 years later. It demonstrates the importance of the work we are doing now, not just for the students attending university now, but for the future generations. 

Sarah Fox from the University of Manchester offered really insightful perspectives from her work in the corporate world and highlighted that a period of flux can often be a fertile driver of change. As universities (and the whole education system for that matter) grapple with the use of AI, changing working practices, and different types of assessments, this is the perfect time to continue to drive forward EDI. 

So as we prepare our students for the challenges of university life, it’s reassuring to see that the sector is committed to evolving its practices and policies to better reflect the needs of all students. Our students, who will enter this dynamic environment, will need to navigate these complexities, and it is our role to ensure they understand the importance of engaging with diverse viewpoints while also standing firm in their own beliefs. This is a world that values both fairness and free speech, and we must equip them to thrive in it. I hope our students take inspiration from Barack Obama’s quote: “University is not just a place to learn facts. It’s a place to learn how to think critically, challenge the status quo, and develop your own voice.”