UCL & IOE: Student Voices Against Apartheid
This website presents a digital history of student activism at University College London during the global struggle against apartheid, focusing on the period from the 1960s to the 1980s. Through archival documents, student publications, and protest materials, it traces how UCL students challenged institutional complicity, advocated for divestment, and forged transnational solidarities in pursuit of racial justice
From the 1950s on students at UCL and IOE became more engaged in campaigning against the racist apartheid regime ruling South Africa, particularly on issues relating to discrimination in education, particularly after the 1959 Act extending segregation in universities. In 1962, UCL's launched a scholarship scheme to bring a Black South African to study at UCL and in 1965 elected Nelson Mandela as an 'Honorary President'. Students became central to the wider anti-apartheid movement in Britain, a reliable source of support for marches and protests and strong backers of boycott schemes, including the long-running Barclays Bank boycott.
Student Activism Timeline
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What was Apartheid?
Apartheid was a system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination enforced by the South African government from 1948 to the early 1990s. Under apartheid laws, people were classified by race and forced to live separately. Black South Africans were denied basic rights, including voting, access to quality education, healthcare, and freedom of movement. The system was widely condemned as a crime against humanity.
UCL's respondence
During the 1960s–1980s, UCL’s response to student anti-apartheid activism was mixed—sometimes cautious, sometimes progressive under pressure:
Cautious in the early years: UCL initially maintained a neutral stance, defending academic freedom and avoiding direct political entanglement.
Change driven by student pressure: Persistent protests, petitions, and public campaigning by students eventually forced the university to reconsider its ties to apartheid-era South Africa.
Gradual symbolic support: By the 1980s, UCL’s student union had officially adopted anti-apartheid policies, and the university began distancing itself from South African institutions and companies involved in the regime.
Part of a national trend: UCL’s evolving position mirrored a broader shift across UK universities, many of which responded to increasing student activism by reviewing their financial and academic links with apartheid.
Essential Info: UCL Anti-Apartheid
How did UCL and IOE students get involved?
Students organized protests, hosted educational events, raised funds for Black South African students, and campaigned for the university to divest from companies supporting apartheid.
What is JACARI?
JACARI (Joint Action Committee Against Racial Intolerance) was a UCL student society founded in the 1960s to promote racial equality. It played a key role in mobilizing anti-apartheid efforts on campus.
What kind of activities were held?
Students participated in benefit concerts, hosted film screenings and lectures, distributed flyers, and signed petitions calling for justice and divestment. Some activities were part of broader UK-wide movements.
The legacy of anti-apartheid student activism at UCL
Empowering student activism
The movement is remembered as a powerful example of how student voices can influence institutional decisions and social change.
Promoting ethical governance
Campaigns during the apartheid era laid the foundation for today’s debates about university investments, ethical partnerships, and social responsibility.
Part of institutional memory
Archives preserves original documents, posters, and photos from the anti-apartheid campaigns, keeping this history alive for future generations.
Support Change with The World of UCL
Join our efforts to make a difference in the fight against apartheid. Engage with like-minded students and take action towards a more inclusive world.