The following list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are provided to support students who are preparing essays for the George Bridgetower Essay Competition 2024 in response to the question:
"How do the current conversations about academic freedom and freedom of speech affect Black students at Cambridge?" The due date for this competition is 1st September 2024. Please see the main page for specifics about formatting, word count and submission steps.
Q. Is it worth submitting an essay for this Prize?
The prize money is £1000 for the most successful essay submission. It can also be great to include this prize in your curriculum vitae, as well as using this competition as a platform to reflect and share your perspectives about your educational experiences at Cambridge.
Q. What is freedom of speech and academic freedom?
While they are often used interchangeably, freedom of speech and academic freedom are different terms that relate to each other. In broad brush-strokes, freedom of speech means everyone has the right to express lawful views and opinions freely, in speech or in writing, without interference. Academic freedom means protecting the intellectual independence of academics to question and test received views and wisdom, and to put forward new ideas and controversial or unpopular opinions, without placing themselves in danger of losing their jobs or privileges or reducing the likelihood of them securing promotion or different roles at the university.
Q. What is the UK's Freedom of Speech Act?
The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 was passed in May 2023 by the previous conservative government. The Act imposed new free speech duties on universities (and also constituent colleges and students' unions).
However, it was controversial and the Act is currently under review by the newly voted government, in the face of widespread concern about the negative impact on vulnerable groups. For example, there are fears that the legislation could protect those using hate speech on campuses, and that it could also push providers to overlook the safety and well-being of minority groups.
As this is live current debate, the essay competition welcomes student thoughts about its impact in the Cambridge and UK higher education context.
Here are some quick explanatory links that might be helpful:
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UK Government (2023) Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act
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Advance HE Governance News Alert (June 2023) The Act at a glance
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UK Government Blog (July 2024). Free Speech Act: What you need to know
Please note that you don't have to be an expert on this Act and its ramifications to write a successful essay for this competition.
Q. Why have we set up an essay competition?
Essays are highly valued at Cambridge as many students are expected to write essays for formative feedback. This essay competition is set up as an opportunity for students to experiment with developing an essay that shares their personal experiences or opinions while also showcasing their essay writing skills. The prize money is a way of rewarding the extra curricula work involved, on top of the intellectual kudos accrued in winning the competition.
Q. Who can enter the competition?
You must be a current or recently graduated student from Cambridge University to be eligible to submit an essay for this competition. This year, as the competition is supported by the Black Advisory Hub, you will also need to be a self-identifying Black student.
Q. Are there any restrictions?
We welcome essays on your own personal experiences, and we don't want to restrict any angle you might choose to write about (particularly in light of this essay question!). However, we ask entrants to avoid the use of names, specific places, and incidents in order to avoid bringing unwanted harm onto anyone. It is okay to cite already written pieces about incidents and to reflect on them from a personal perspective.
Q. What is the editing process?
If your essay wins the competition, we will work with you to ensure it is publishable. No changes will be made without the author's approval.
Q. Who are the judges?
The judging panel is made up of members of the Black Advisory Hub and the two student winners of previous George Bridgetower essay prizes.
Q. Who will read the winning essay?
We hope to publish the essay on the Black Advisory Hub's website, as it will be of great interest to other people across the collegiate University. But the publication and dissemination will only happen with full consent of the author, and access will be restricted behind a password protected firewall using CSRIDs.
Q. Will there be a prize-giving ceremony?
Yes! We plan to hold a prize-giving ceremony in October 2024, chaired by student members of the Black Advisory Hub and launched by Sonita Alleyn, Master of Jesus, and Professor Bhaskar Vira, Pro Vice Chancellor of Education.