In a move that has sent shockwaves through academic and activist circles alike, the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London has expelled Haya Adam, a prominent law student and president of the SOAS Palestine Society, following a series of disciplinary actions tied to her pro-Palestine activism. The decision, made public in early August 2025, comes after a year-long suspension and is widely believed to be unprecedented in the history of British higher education—a university expelling a student for political activism on this scale is, by all accounts, a first.
Adam, 21, has been at the forefront of the SOAS student movement protesting what activists describe as the university’s complicity in Israel’s war on Gaza. Since the outbreak of the conflict in October 2023, Adam has organized encampments, led demonstrations, and become a visible symbol of campus resistance, especially as the SOAS encampment became the world’s longest-running pro-Palestine student protest.
The disciplinary panel’s decision to expel Adam centered on a video posted to the student encampment’s Instagram page on January 16, 2025. In the video, Adam criticized a student union co-president, stating that her tenure had “only served institutional oppression” and labeling her a “careerist.” The panel ruled the video constituted harassment, despite the officer involved declining to call it such in a recorded discussion. According to Middle East Eye, this was the culmination of months of disciplinary charges, including prior suspensions for participating in unauthorized protests and for questioning Vice Chancellor Adam Habib about the university’s alleged complicity in what many international observers and human rights groups have called genocide in Gaza.
Adam has consistently denied the university’s accusations. In a video posted to social media following her expulsion, she said, “I was expelled for a video which was pure political commentary. A video that was made regarding the sabbatical officer in the students union currently, who failed time and again to uphold her political manifesto. She has stood against students who have received disciplinary action and was a witness in a sham disciplinary investigation which targeted me.” Adam further charged that SOAS was “trying to use me as an example in order to silence and intimidate the rest of the student body, and they’re doing this to students who are speaking up against genocide.”
Adam’s supporters see her expulsion as part of a broader crackdown on Palestine solidarity activism across UK campuses. According to 5PillarsUK, students at several universities have faced increased surveillance, suspensions, police referrals, and threats of expulsion as the Gaza conflict has intensified. The SOAS Palestine Society and the student encampment have repeatedly criticized the university’s research links with the UK Ministry of Defence, Israeli universities, and financial ties to banks accused of financing Israel’s military operations in Gaza, such as Barclays. While SOAS does not have research partnerships with arms companies to the extent of some other institutions, protesters argue that any such links are unacceptable.
In response to Adam’s expulsion, Dr Asim Qureshi, Research Director at CAGE International and an SOAS alumnus, made a dramatic gesture of solidarity by burning his SOAS Masters certificate. In a widely shared Instagram video, Qureshi explained, “They have chosen to unfairly punish her, so I don’t want to be associated with a university that markets decoloniality while punishing those who practice it. My relationship to SOAS is inextricably linked to Palestine, and so I can’t stand to have that memory tainted by the administration of Adam Habib punishing pro-Palestine students for wanting divestment and an end to apartheid and genocide.”
Adam’s case is not the first instance of SOAS expelling a pro-Palestine student; in December 2024, Abel Harvie-Clark was also expelled following similar activism. The university’s actions have drawn criticism from both within and outside SOAS. Dr Grietje Baars, a Reader in Law and Social Change and associate member of the Centre for Palestine Studies at SOAS, told Middle East Eye that the expulsion was “a grave mistake on the part of the university,” but added, “Our students are not afraid. They know that the genocide in Gaza and the situations in Sudan and the Congo are of the utmost importance and urgency and are intimately tied up with their chance of a liveable future: they’re not going to be intimidated into silence.”
Adam herself has vowed to challenge the university’s decision. Speaking to reporters, she declared, “I will never stop what I’m doing, and the university will never silence or intimidate me because we’re doing all of this for our Palestinian brothers and sisters. There is an intensifying genocide that has been going on continuously, so it’s our responsibility and moral duty to speak up.” Adam also intends to appeal her expulsion and continue participating in protests at SOAS, undeterred by the university’s disciplinary measures.
SOAS, for its part, has maintained that it supports free expression on campus. In a statement provided to the press, a university spokesperson said, “While we do not comment on individual disciplinary cases to respect student privacy, the past 19 months have seen hundreds of peaceful events, vigils, and protests take place on our campus that reflect a vibrant culture of free expression at SOAS. In a small number of cases involving serious misconduct – such as vandalism, exam disruption, and threats to staff – we have taken appropriate action to uphold the safety and integrity of our university. We remain devastated by the loss of life in Israel on 7 October and the ongoing destruction of Gaza, and we continue to call for an immediate ceasefire, as we first did in 2023.”
The legal context around these protests has also grown more fraught. In October 2024, the University of London obtained a High Court injunction prohibiting demonstrations on the SOAS campus without prior written approval from university management. Adam was named as one of three defendants in the court submission, and since the injunction, the encampment has been forced to move off campus, now occupying a nearby pavement. Nevertheless, the demonstration has persisted, becoming a symbol of student resistance and determination.
Adam’s journey at SOAS began with high hopes for an anti-colonial education and a space to speak out against injustice. “I thought SOAS would encourage their students to take action against these crimes against humanity – instead, they’ve chosen to punish their students,” she reflected. For many, her expulsion has laid bare the tensions between a university’s stated values and its administrative actions, especially when student activism collides with institutional interests and external pressures.
As calls mount for renewed protests and a reversal of the expulsion, the case of Haya Adam is poised to remain a flashpoint in the ongoing debate over academic freedom, student activism, and the limits of dissent in British higher education.