Russian Applicant Rejected by University of West London

A UK university had been denounced for rejecting a student on the discriminatory basis they are Russian. 

Thirty-three-year-old Elena Ledneva (right) had hoped to start a one-year Masters course in luxury hospitality management. She applied last month, after going on an open day and meeting course tutors but an email from the University of West London’s International Team on Tuesday, indicated that her application to study at the institution would not be taken further because she is Russian. 

UWL suggested this was not a one-off decision but a university-wide “policy”, introduced since the launching of Russia’s “invasion”. Their email, seen by Express.co.uk, read: “We are writing to inform you that as per University policy in response to the recent events and situation in Ukraine, we will not be in the position to process your application further. We are very sorry about these very unfortunate circumstances”. 

The university with campuses in Ealing and Brentford in Greater London, as well as in Reading, Berkshire described the policy as “unfortunate”, but the university’s own admissions policy suggests it was more significant than this. 

Among their “general principles” is that “the University will admit candidates who have the potential to succeed on their chosen course regardless of background”. 

They have since backtracked, insisting the rejection was sent "in error" but others claim the change was only made after "pressure" was applied. 

Toby Young of Free Speech Union, a UK-based organization which advocates freedom of speech highlighted that treating one applicant less favourably than another because of their nationality would amount to “direct discrimination” and “a straightforward breach of the Equality Act 2010”. 

He told Express.co.uk that had the application not been pursued on this basis, Ledneva would have had an “open and shut case” in court. 

Georgios Giannakopoulos, a lecturer at the City University of London and a friend of Ledneva drew attention to the matter by posting a screenshot of the email on Twitter and captioned: “Since when do UK universities issue blanket rejections to Russian candidates because of their nationality? This is a dangerous precedent!” 

He told Express.co.uk: “I have been hearing stories anecdotally of Russian students having a hard time in London because they are falling victim of this popular hysteria without being the perpetrators of [the war]”. 

Giannakopoulos pointed to stories he had heard of people just speaking Russian receiving “abuse in the street”, but noted he now understands this to be the “tip of the iceberg”, given the involvement of institutions in anti-Russian discrimination. 

The Asians are getting a respite because now, the Russians are being targeted. 

[Note: Asian racism (and racism, in general) has always been in British society for generations. But since the Covid-19 pandemic, hate crimes against those of East Asian and Southeast Asian ethnicity have surged. In fact, an EVR study on “Hate Crime Data” shared exclusively with ITV News revealed on October 07, 2021 that “hate crime attacks against east and south east Asians in UK (rose) by 50% in two years”].