Thread: "Universities under more surveillance "

Hardly News, nothing surprising in this.
Story 10 January 2010

“In recent months "they" have upped those visits in some cases to twice a month where they think there could be problems brewing with radicalisation of students.

Lecturers and tutors have been advised on how to spot extremists who might be using colleges as recruiting grounds.

Students from Libya, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Egypt have long been unofficially monitored by university staff in charge of allocating accommodation.

One source said: “Funnily enough they were all sponsored by their governments and none of them were over here studying English, it was all nuclear physics and engineering".

Interesting to read reports on the Uni' s getting special attention, London, Bradford, Bedford, Luton, Sheffield. Coincidence? nothing new? or just tittle tattle?

I attended a university in the Midlands from 1994 - 1997 and we were aware then of official interest in some of the student groups run by and for Muslims. In my final year there was a bit of excitement caused by the likelihood of the leader of one of these groups winning the SU presidency (and thus the associated influence and income), so there was a more intense than normal push to motivate all students to vote. Far more than usual students voted and one of the rugger buggers won.

A thoroughly good thing to do. The associated immigration issues also needs closer scrutiny.

If we have such thoughts on the students mentioned... why are we teaching them Nuclear Physics and Engineering?

Can't we just sideline them on to Media Studies? Or just not teach them?

If you were going to profile people bright engineering or medical students based on Takfiri recruiting patterns would get a pretty high ranking. In the UK it's proved a surprisingly rich vein of expensively educated self immolating numptydom.

Unlettered South Armagh peasants seem to have been a far more able demographic when it comes to sustaining a well calculated and politically effective terrorist campaign. Looking at the growing dissident problems in the 6C I'd actually be more worried by them kicking off again.

Originally Posted by chocolate_frog

If we have such thoughts on the students mentioned... why are we teaching them Nuclear Physics and Engineering?

I can only presume it's to do with keeping an eye on what they've got the capability to do back home. To get into UK on a student visa, they'd have to get ATAS clearance before their visa was granted.

Originally Posted by chocolate_frog

Can't we just sideline them on to Media Studies?

International students make a far greater personal investment in their studies than our own and wouldn't waste their time on something that won't help them get a job back home. Media Studies or Basket Weaving with Applied Fluffy Kittens just aren't that popular.

This is something that should have happened in Britain years ago.