Chatham House rule 'could help students discuss difficult topics'

Universities in England should rearrange classrooms and use the Chatham House rule to help students overcome their fears of discussing controversial topics, according to the government's free speech adviser.

- Richard Adams

Arif Ahmed, the Office for Students' director of freedom of speech and academic freedom, said there was a "significant danger" to academic integrity if speech and expression were restricted on campuses, urging universities to take positive steps to tackle students' reluctance to discuss divisive subjects.

"There's a range of innovative approaches that I think universities should be willing to think about," Ahmed told the Guardian, in his first public interview since the government's review of freedom of speech legislation last year.