A group of academics have criticised perceived political “interference” after Dundee University’s vice-principal chaired a pro-Union campaign meeting.
Dundee City East MSP Shona Robison contacted the institute’s principal, Pete Downes, to raise concerns after it emerged Christopher Whatley had taken part in the Better Together Dundee launch.
However, an open letter signed by Hugh Pennington, professor of bacteriology at Aberdeen University, Stirling University’s Professor Ronald Roberts and Professor Susan Shaw, former deputy and vice-principal of Strathclyde University, called such an intervention “unacceptable”.
Professor Whatley is chairman of Dundee University’s Five Million Questions project on the independence referendum the impartiality of which was being questioned by Ms Robison.
Both the institute and Professor Whatley insisted he appeared at the Better Together event in his personal capacity as a historian, and the project does not express any view on the outcome of next September’s referendum.
The letter said: “It is unacceptable for a minister to question the integrity of an academic on the basis of his or her political views.
“It would be a very dangerous route to go down if the views of academics were required to be in conformity with the government of the day.
“Professor Whatley is a respected academic of many years standing who also happens to support Scotland remaining in the UK.
“The fact that he holds a particular opinion on the referendum does not in any way affect his abilities as an academic.”
A spokesman for Ms Robison said the sports minister would still appear at events organised by the university and admitted there are no concerns with the way the project has conducted itself so far.
He added: “Ms Robison, as a Dundee MSP and participant in Five Million Questions events, simply inquired about Professor Whatley publicly identifying himself as a No campaign supporter by chairing the inaugural meeting of Better Together in Dundee, and how that could be compatible with the stated neutrality of the project.”