Universities chief 'acutely conscious' of need to protect Jewish students

The head of the representative body for UK universities reassures Jewish students she wants them to 'feel safe' on campus

The chief executive of Universities UK has said that higher learning institutions were “acutely conscious” of the need to protect Jewish students on campus.

Nicola Dandridge was speaking to an audience of 130 at an information evening held by the Union of Jewish Students (UJS) in London on Tuesday night.

There, Dandridge said she recognised growing concerns around anti-Semitism and Jewish student welfare on campus, and the impact it has on families and the wider community.

Nicola Dandridge speaking to Jewish students

“It would be remiss of me not to speak about anti-Semitism here tonight,” she said. “Universities are acutely conscious of their need to protect the welfare of students and provide support services, interfaith projects and student support services. Where anti-Semitic incidents have occurred and investigations have taken place, universities have taken the recommendations on board.”

Dandridge said she was working with UJS and CST, adding: “I want to work closely with the Jewish community to ensure that Jewish students feel safe and so we can tackle anti-Semitism in an honest and positive way.”