Cambridge University is embroiled in a damaging scandal over allegations of a cover-up after it emerged that nearly three-quarters of staff expressed dissatisfaction with their department's handling of bullying and harassment. A Freedom of Information (FoI) request has shed light on the results of a January 2024 survey, which revealed a staggering lack of trust among staff, with only 27% satisfied with how these issues were being tackled.
The findings are deeply concerning, particularly within some of Cambridge's most high-profile science departments. A dismal 52% of staff felt their department adequately supported their mental health and wellbeing. The university has responded by saying it takes bullying seriously and encourages reporting, but this appears to have been a hollow commitment given the survey was conducted over a year ago.
Professor Wyn Evans, an astrophysicist at Cambridge, is now calling for change after witnessing first-hand the impact of bullying on his colleagues. He has launched an anti-bullying manifesto in a bid to unseat the university's incoming chancellor and has criticised the institution for its lack of action. "This survey reveals a grim culture of bullying and harassment," he said, "yet the most shocking thing is that the university found this out a year ago and hasn't taken any action."
Cambridge is not alone in facing such challenges; a 2020 joint survey with campus unions revealed nearly a third of staff had experienced bullying or harassment. The current Vice-Chancellor has been accused of failing to follow through on previous commitments to address this issue, which is reflective of broader problems within the UK's research sector.
The Wellcome Trust highlighted in its own 2020 survey that two-thirds of researchers witnessed bullying and harassment, with 43% experiencing it themselves. The intense competition for research grants and publications creates "unkind and aggressive" working conditions, according to Head of Research and Funding Equity Diego Baptista.
Source: The Observer