Royal Society statement on academic boycotts

The Royal Society supports global collaboration and participation in science and is therefore opposed to blanket academic boycotts. Without the free exchange of ideas and opinions science will fail to thrive and that will impact on the lives of people across the world.

Blanket boycotts of scientists or other academics because of issues such as their nationality, race, sex, language, religion or political beliefs are unacceptable.

Scientists and other academics have a role to play in the promotion of peace and human rights as well as the pursuit of knowledge. While calls for academic boycotts may be well intentioned they run the risk of denying scientists and other academics their rights to freedom of opinion and expression, of interfering with their ability to exercise their bona fide academic freedoms, and of inhibiting the free circulation of scientists and scientific ideas.