Historic Inquiry Reveals University of Edinburgh’s Deep Links to Slavery and Racist Ideologies

Historic Inquiry Reveals University of Edinburgh’s Deep Links to Slavery and Racist Ideologies
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The University of Edinburgh played a significant role in developing racist scientific theories and profited extensively from slavery and colonialism, according to a landmark investigation reported by The Guardian. The inquiry, commissioned by university principal Sir Peter Mathieson, found that the institution received the modern equivalent of at least £30 million from donors linked to transatlantic slavery and colonial exploitation.

The report reveals that Edinburgh was a hub for professors who advanced white supremacist ideologies in the 18th and 19th centuries, contributing to racial pseudo-sciences that placed Africans at the bottom of fabricated hierarchies. Some of these endowments, still active today, fund lectures and awards.

Among its findings, the review noted that the university holds nearly 300 skulls collected from enslaved individuals by 19th-century phrenologists and identified 15 endowments tied to slavery and 12 to colonialism, totaling £9.4 million. The university also reportedly solicited donations from slavery-linked alumni to fund major buildings.

Mathieson issued a public apology, acknowledging the university’s role in sustaining harmful ideologies and benefiting from systems of oppression. The review includes 47 recommendations, such as redirecting funds toward hiring Black academics and establishing a center for studying racism and colonialism. It also urged the university to reconsider its endorsement of the IHRA definition of antisemitism, citing concerns over free speech, and to divest from companies linked to the Israeli government. Mathieson confirmed these issues are under review.

The investigation highlighted the university’s inaction during abolitionist efforts and the ongoing lack of Black staff and students. Mathieson vowed to support scholarships and institutional reform while acknowledging some bequests may be legally restricted. The report was led by Prof. Tommy J. Curry and Dr. Nicki Frith, and follows similar historical reviews, including one by the University of Glasgow.