University of Sydney VC Mark Scott: my position is still ‘tenable’

Mark Scott rejected assertions he did not appreciate the full scale of anti-Semitism on his campus and that the University of Sydney was an ‘incubator’ of anti-Jewish sentiment.

Mark Scott appears at a parliamentary hearing into anti-Semitism at Australian universities at Parliament House. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor Mark Scott says he believes his role is still “tenable” after calls from the opposition and key Jewish groups to resign, with the beleaguered sandstone campus boss saying he has the “full support” of the university senate and executive.

Professor Scott also rejected assertions he did not appreciate the full scale of anti-Semitism on his campus and that the University of Sydney was not merely a “sanctuary” for anti-Semitism but instead an “incubator”.

He appeared before a parliamentary inquiry on campus anti-Semitism by the joint parliamentary committee on human rights. Labor rejected calls from Jewish community organisations and by the Coalition to establish a judicial inquiry and instead referred it to this parliamentary committee.

Professor Scott said Jewish students and staff have given him the sense they think campus anti-Semitism is now an issue “well recognised” and that university management is now “working together” with them on the issue.

His appearance came after a near two-months-long pro-Palestine encampment protests on university grounds earlier this year, which punctuated broader criticisms about anti-Semitism at the university which had flared up since the October 7 terrorist attacks on Israel and the war that followed.

Professor Scott was asked by Liberal National MP Henry Pike whether his role was still “tenable”.

“I believe there is a diligence and a focus at the University of Sydney to deal with the issues that emerge from these challenges, we are hard at work in doing so,” he said.

“I am pleased to be able to do so with the strong support of the Chancellor and the senate and the executive team at the university and overwhelmingly many staff of the university have reached out to me as well.”

Under questioning by Jewish Labor MP Josh Burns, Professor Scott said complaints of anti-Semitism had “significantly reduced” in the second semester of the year.

“I would say almost in contrast, I think, to what we can see of instance that taking place outside – including the horrendous incidents in the eastern suburbs – earlier in the week – I don’t think our feeling would be on campus that we’re seeing a rise of incidents through the year,” Professor Scott said.

“In fact, the reverse of that, the number of complaints from staff and students are significantly lower.

“The effectiveness of working together in bringing solutions – that has been pleasing progress.”

Mr Pike asked Professor Scott whether he had fully “appreciated the scale of the problem that’s occurring”.

“I emphatically reject that view,” Professor Scott said.

“My time and engagement has been emphatically engaged around creating a safe and supportive environment for the university and to eliminate anti-Semitism wherever we find it whilst recognising that we have a unique responsibility to uphold academic freedom and freedom of speech as part of our responsibility as well.

Mr Pike asked whether the University of Sydney was an “incubator of anti-Semitism” given multiple instances of academic and executive staff being accused of anti-Semitism.

“There are 100,000 people in the University of Sydney community,” Professor Scott said. “You have referenced four individuals.”

He drew attention to the case of Tim Anderson who was terminated from the university in 2019 for showing students an image of a Nazi swastika superimposed over the Israeli flag, a decision that was subsequently litigated.

“I believe we’re the only university in the country that has fired someone for anti-Semitism,” he said.

“It took vast time, vast legal process, significant expense.

“We were vigilant, right to the very end of that until we finally got legal justice around that case.

“I think the Anderson case, and much of it took place before I started at the university, I was involved in endorsing the continuation of that process, shows the commitment and the vigilance of the university to pursue cases of anti-Semitism when they emerge.”