The government has announced plans for a "free speech champion" to ensure universities in England do not stifle freedom of speech and expression.
The champion will sit on the Office for Students' board and regulate matters such as "no-platforming" of speakers by universities or student unions.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson warned of the "chilling effect" of what he called "silencing" in universities.
Unions said there was "no evidence" of a freedom of speech crisis on campus.
The new post is part of a series of proposals, announced on Tuesday, aimed at strengthening academic freedom in England's universities.
Under the plans, universities would be legally required to actively promote free speech and the Office for Students would have the power to impose fines on institutions if they breach this condition.
This would also extend to student unions, which would have to ensure that lawful free speech is secured for members and visiting speakers.
Individuals would be able to seek compensation through the courts if they suffered loss from a breach of the free speech duties - like being expelled, dismissed or demoted - under a new legal measure.
The Department for Education said the next steps for legislation would be set out "in due course".
Mr Williamson said: "Free speech underpins our democratic society and our universities have a long and proud history of being places where students and academics can express themselves freely, challenge views and cultivate an open mind.
"But I am deeply worried about the chilling effect on campuses of unacceptable silencing and censoring.
"That is why we must strengthen free speech in higher education, by bolstering the existing legal duties and ensuring strong, robust action is taken if these are breached."
Prof Selina Todd, an Oxford University academic who previously had an invitation to a conference celebrating women withdrawn over her stance on transgender rights issues, welcomed government action although she said the free speech champion could be a "blunt instrument".
She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that universities have "dismally failed" to uphold freedom of debate in recent years.
"Things have got a lot worse for academics and for students - many of whom get in touch with me anonymously to say how frightened they are to speak out," she said.
Peter Tatchell, a gay rights activist who has himself been the target of no-platform protests, said no-platform polices were "quite rare" and the issue needed to be put in perspective.
He told the Today programme that the government's decision to introduce a freedom of speech tsar was part of a "cynical culture war" to use "hot-button culture issues" to secure political advantage.
Free speech 'essential'
In December, Cambridge University said its proposed statement on free speech would no longer require staff and students to be "respectful" of differing views, following an intervention from academics who said calling for respect could undermine academic freedom.
A spokeswoman for the group Universities UK said universities were "committed to promoting and protecting free speech, which we see as critical to the success of this country's higher education system".
"There are already significant legal duties placed on universities to uphold freedom of speech and universities are required to have a code of practice on free speech and to update this regularly."
Hillary Gyebi-Ababio, the National Union of Students vice-president for higher education, said: "Students' unions are committed to freedom of expression and are the very home of rigorous debate and new ideas.
"There is no evidence of a freedom of expression crisis on campus, and students' unions are constantly taking positive steps to help facilitate the thousands of events that take place each year."
Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union, which represents staff, said: "In reality the biggest threats to academic freedom and free speech come not from staff and students, nor from so-called 'cancel culture', but from ministers' own attempts to police what can and cannot be said on campus."
A failure to "get to grips with the endemic job insecurity and managerialist approaches which mean academics are less able to speak truth to power" were also a barrier to free speech, said Ms Grady.
Chief executive of the OfS, Nicola Dandridge, said free speech and academic freedom were "essential to teaching and research".
"Universities and colleges have legal duties to protect both free speech and academic freedom, and their compliance with these responsibilities forms an important part of their conditions of registration with the OfS."
Tom Simpson, associate fellow at the right-of-centre think-tank Policy Exchange, and an associate professor of philosophy and public policy at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, said that a "very online culture" allowed the views of a minority to exert disproportionate influence on administrators, and to "exert a chilling effect on other academics".
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2021-02-16 07:45:00Z
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