BRISMES Committee on Academic Freedom
The BRISMES Committee on Academic Freedom was set up to monitor and defend academic freedom in the research, study and teaching of Middle East Studies in the UK and anywhere in the world, including in academic institutions in the Middle East and North Africa.
To learn more about how the committee works, please see the Terms of Reference.
The current Chair of the BRISMES Committee on Academic Freedom is Lewis Turner (Senior Lecturer in International Politics, Newcastle University).
Latest Statement/Letter
The BRISMES Committee on Academic Freedom has written to King's College London to express our profound concern about the treatment of Mr Usama Ghanem, a student of International Relations at the university, who has been indefinitely suspended from his studies. As a result of this suspension, Mr Ghanem faces the prospect of being forced to return to Egypt, where there are credible and serious risks to his safety and wellbeing.
We urge King's College London to reconsider Mr Ghanem’s suspension, to review its disciplinary and protest-related policies to ensure they do not penalise lawful expression, and to take all necessary steps to allow him to continue his studies — and to remain in safety — in the United Kingdom.
3 November 2025
Previous Statements
Please find here the list of statements published by the Committee on Academic Freedom.
Previous Letters
Please find here the list of public letters published by the Committee on Academic Freedom.
Database of Expertise
The Database of Expertise in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies provides a publicly available list of MENA experts with their research and areas of expertise.
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