In September 2024, the National University of Singapore (NUS) issued a guidance form that requires faculty members to evaluate prospective speakers’ risk for addressing politically controversial topics.

The form instructs event organizers to “to do a mandatory Google search to identify [prospective] speaker’s profile and look for any past controversies, and then to “rate them on a scale that determines whether they pose lower, moderate, or high risk of addressing “(potentially) controversial and/or sensitive topics for Singapore’s and/or the regional context.” According to the form, events that are open to the public are also deemed higher risk. Events deemed to be high risk require the “completion of admin formalities.” The guidance form does not define what constitutes risk, nor what kinds of administrative formalities must be completed for high risk events.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about policies that limit academic expression based on non-transparent or overly broad criteria. Such policies–even if written in a viewpoint neutral manner–may be used to restrict disfavored academic discourse, or other expression on campus. Measures like these undermine academic freedom and democratic society generally.

Sources:
https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20250110124852783
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/singapore-academics-told-rate-speakers-controversy-risk
https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2025/01/07/nus-introduces-framework-to-assess-speakers-controversy-risk-after-scholars-disinvitation-last-year/