Risk Assessment of Safety of Foreign Students
Dear University of Liverpool,
Could you confirm whether your university has any formal guidelines for ensuring the safety of students from surveillance or coercion from those acting on behalf of foreign governments (for example, safety from surveillance, blackmail, forced pledges of loyalty and being reported on by fellow students)? If so, please provide access to this document.
We are especially interested in two particular examples of transnational repression of Chinese students that have been reported on in the media:
1) Has your organisation evaluated the possible risk posed by Chinese Student and Scholar Associations given evidence that they have surveilled other students, organised counter protestors and acted upon orders from the Chinese Embassy?
Examples:
https://www.hrw.org/report/2021/06/30/th...
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019...
2) Are you aware of how many international students are receiving funding from the Chinese Scholarship Council stream? The CSC is part of the Chinese education ministry and organises foreign exchange programmes and international studies for Chinese students.
Have you investigated the possible risk posed to students involved with this programme given recent evidence that agreements students sign include pledges of loyalty to the party state and threaten students’ parents with debt if they fail to complete their studies?
Details: https://thepienews.com/news/chinese-stud...
Has your institution ever had to deal with a case where a student was put at risk of transnational repression and can you provide details of how your institution dealt with this situation? Feel free to keep the identity of the student anonymous.
Yours faithfully,
Flo Marks
Hello Flo
We’ve received your FOI request and will be processing it shortly. Your
reference number is FOI/2223/307.
Our response is due on or before 31 March (within 20 working days of
receipt). If we cannot meet this date, we will tell you about this as soon
as we can.
If we ask you to clarify your request, the deadline will be re-calculated
once we receive clarification.
In the meantime, if you have any questions about your request, please get
in touch.
Kind regards, Kirsty
Kirsty Rothwell
Freedom of Information Officer / Data Protection Co-ordinator
Legal & Governance
Pronouns: She/Her
Phonetic pronunciation of first name: kir-stee
University of Liverpool, Foundation Building, Brownlow Hill, Liverpool L69
7ZX
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[2]4E48958A
Hi Flo
Our response to your FOI request (FOI/2223/307) was due to be sent to you
today.
The response has been delayed. I have emailed the relevant department(s)
to ask for an update and will update you as soon as possible.
We will respond to your request as soon as we can. We will either provide
the response or an update on progress by 11 April.
Kind regards, Kirsty
Kirsty Rothwell
Freedom of Information Officer / Data Protection Co-ordinator
Legal & Governance
Pronouns: She/Her
Phonetic pronunciation of first name: kir-stee
University of Liverpool, Foundation Building, Brownlow Hill, Liverpool L69
7ZX
Please add [1][University of Liverpool request email] to your address book/safe senders list
to make sure you receive our emails.
The information in this email and any attachments is confidential. Unless
you are the intended recipient, you must not read, copy, distribute, use
or retain this message or any part of it. If you are not the intended
recipient, please notify the sender immediately.
[2]Signature-Footer
Hello Flo
Please find attached the response to your request for information under
the Freedom of Information Act (our reference FOI/2223/307).
Kind regards, Kirsty
Kirsty Rothwell
Freedom of Information Officer / Data Protection Co-ordinator
Legal & Governance
Pronouns: She/Her
Phonetic pronunciation of first name: kir-stee
University of Liverpool, Foundation Building, Brownlow Hill, Liverpool L69
7ZX
Please add [1][University of Liverpool request email] to your address book/safe senders list
to make sure you receive our emails.
The information in this email and any attachments is confidential. Unless
you are the intended recipient, you must not read, copy, distribute, use
or retain this message or any part of it. If you are not the intended
recipient, please notify the sender immediately.
[2]303D0137
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