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 being done in Sheffield be halted.
And 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 retaining business with China and the publication of research were now untenable.
When the UK government learned of the case, then Foreign Secretary David Lammy warned China that attempts to suppress academic freedoms at UK universities would not be tolerated.
The issue was also raised with China's most senior education minister.
China sought to halt research by Laura Murphy, a human rights and contemporary slavery professor, investigating allegations of forced labor among Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang.
Despite facing accusations of crimes against humanity, which China denies, Sheffield Hallam decided not to publish a final piece of research on Uyghurs' forced labor in late 2024, following pressure from Chinese authorities.
In early 2025, university administrators informed Murphy that continuing her research was not feasible.
Murphy subsequently initiated legal action against the university for failing to protect her academic freedom and demanded relevant internal documents through a subject access request.
Documents revealed that the university had negotiated with a foreign intelligence service to trade Murphy's academic freedom for access to Chinese student markets.
Sheffield Hallam's spokesperson stated that their earlier decision was based on the complexities of the situation, including insurance issues.
Following national attention, the university has since apologized to Murphy and reassured its commitment to freedom of academic research.
The general secretary of the University and College Union expressed dismay at the university's previous efforts to suppress scholarly work due to foreign influences.
This case underscores the vulnerabilities faced by UK universities under geopolitical pressures and raises critical questions about maintaining academic integrity and freedom in international research contexts.
