A forum hosted by Macquarie Staff for Palestine, UniMelb BDS and Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN)
In February 2025, Universities Australia developed a new definition of antisemitism. This follows the recent Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights report into antisemitism at Australian Universities, which recommended universities adopt a definition of antisemitism that aligns closely with the definition of antisemitism developed in 2016 by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (the IHRA definition). Five Australian universities had already adopted the controversial IHRA definition.
As Universities Australia pushes universities to implement its new definition, this forum asks: How and why have these definitions been developed and what has been the effect of their adoption? How do they relate to broader efforts to restrict academic freedom and freedom of speech on Palestine? What might university policies grounded in anti-racist thought and practice look like? How might we fight for academic freedom and freedom of speech on Palestine?
DATE: Wednesday April 30, 7:30-8:30 AEST via Zoom
Speakers:
- Dr Andrew Brooks, UNSW
- Dr Ihab Shalbak, University of Sydney
- Dr Elizabeth Strakosch, University of Melbourne