Proposed closure of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies

Motion Text

That this House regrets the abrupt and unexpected decision to close the Institute of Commonwealth Studies (ICwS); encourages relevant stakeholders to reconsider this decision; notes that the ICwS stands at the heart of Commonwealth and Post-Colonial Studies; notes that the ICwS is the only postgraduate academic institution in the UK devoted specifically to the study of the Commonwealth; commends the ICwS as a national and international centre of excellence for policy-relevant research; notes that the ICwS provides the editorial and administrative office for the Human Rights Consortium, and the Refugee Law Initiative; recognises the role the ICwS plays as host to numerous interdisciplinary academic events, workshops and conferences; further regrets that the closure of the ICwS alongside the Institute of Latin American studies would be a critical blow to the School of Advanced Study, its staff, fellows and alumni; fears that this decision will do untold harm to Commonwealth and Post-Colonial Studies throughout the UK and further afield; notes that the decision will contribute to job losses in higher education institutions across the country; and calls for the immediate reversal of this decision.