Cambridge Students Demand Ethical Careers: Protest Against University Ties with Fossil Fuel and Arms Companies

Climate Activists Rally for Ethical Careers Policy

Cambridge Climate Justice (CCJ) organized a protest outside the Student Services Centre, calling on the University of Cambridge to end all relationships with oil, gas, mining, and arms companies. The demonstrators held banners reading "Fossil Free Careers" and "No Future in Fossil Fuels," highlighting their demand for an ethical careers policy.

The protesters held banners that read "Fossil Fuel Careers" and "No Future in Fossil Fuels" (Credit: Bela Davidson with permission for Varsity)

Key Demands and Student Voices

Around 20 students gathered, with speakers including representatives from CCJ, Cambridge University Amnesty International, and candidates from the recent Students’ Union election. They argued that the Careers Service should cut ties with companies like Palantir, BP, and ExxonMobil, which they accuse of destroying communities through mining, fossil fuel extraction, and arms manufacturing.

Sophia Choudhury, an undergraduate presidential candidate, expressed frustration: "My education is telling me one thing and the Careers Service is telling me another." She highlighted the conflict between academic teachings on corporate harm and career promotions of these same companies.

Working Group Formation and Ongoing Negotiations

The protest coincided with a meeting to discuss forming an ethical careers policy working group. CCJ reported a "general consensus" to establish this group but emphasized that more meetings with the Careers Service are needed to ensure follow-through. A CCJ representative stated, "We were told that the University would love to do more on sustainability, but that most Cambridge students are simply not interested enough in ethical careers. We are here today to show the Careers Service that we do care."

Broader Activism and Related Protests

This rally was part of a wave of student activism. Earlier in the week, the Organisation of Radical Cambridge Activists (ORCA) vandalized three Hilton Hotels in Cambridge, protesting the chain's stance on American Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. ORCA collaborated with Cambridge for Palestine and Cambridge Artists for Palestine, calling for a boycott of Hilton over its complicity with anti-migrant policies.

Impact on STEM Students and Career Choices

A CCJ representative warned about STEM students being lured into sustainability roles at these companies, only to be transferred to other departments involved in harmful practices. "Students are persuaded to take on jobs in these companies’ sustainability departments because they are told they can improve these systems from within, just for them to be transferred to other departments, where they suddenly have to work in the horrific structures that they wanted to change."

Humanitarian Concerns and Global Connections

Speakers linked the Careers Service’s partnerships to global humanitarian issues, such as the situation in Gaza and Sudan. Choudhury noted, "Thousands of Palestinians are literally wiped out of existence... in the name of mining and extractivism. Those same companies complicit in these acts are then invited, celebrated, [and] given access to students."