UK University Expels Palestine Society President Haya Adam

  • Publish date: Friday، 08 August 2025 Reading time: two min read

SOAS’s decision to expel a student activist ignites controversy over academic freedom and political expression in UK universities.

The University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) has taken the unprecedented step of expelling Haya Adam, a second-year law and international relations student, who served as president of the SOAS Palestine Society.

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The action follows a year-long series of disciplinary measures tied to her pro-Palestine activism—marking what is believed to be the first such expulsion at a UK university.

According to SOAS, Haya Adam was dismissed following allegations, including “harassment, abusive behaviour, and operational obstruction.”

She disputes these claims, asserting that her expulsion was rooted in political expression, specifically drawing attention to the ongoing conflict in Gaza and referencing a video she posted criticizing the Students' Union’s political representation.

Adam, who enrolled at SOAS in September 2023, said she expected to receive an “anti-colonial education” and have a platform to speak out against injustice. Instead, she frames the university’s actions as suppressive, describing her experience as a “journey of repression”.

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Her disciplinary history includes being sanctioned in June 2024 for attending an allegedly unauthorised protest, followed by a nine-month suspension after confronting the university’s vice-chancellor about SOAS’s complicity in the Gaza conflict.

The final tipping point appears to have been a social media video she shared criticizing a sabbatical officer for allegedly failing to uphold campaign promises.

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Pro-Palestine activists and student groups have condemned the expulsion as an attack on freedom of speech and student representation, arguing that SOAS is using disciplinary measures to intimidate and silence dissenting voices on campus.

In support of Adam, Asim Qureshi, Research Director at CAGE International, publicly burned his Master of Laws certificate from SOAS, denouncing the university’s actions as hypocritical and a betrayal of its professed decolonial values.

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