A Tory MP has proposed an amendment to the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill that would require all English universities to disclose overseas donations of more than £50,000.

The MP, Jesse Norman, claimed the clause was not “aimed at any specific individual or country” and was, instead, “designed to improve the functioning and improve the reputation" of higher education.

The suggested amendment aims to change a system which currently allows universities to create their own rules around the approval of donations. It will also force the institutions to publish any eligible donations from the last ten years.

The amendment has been worked on by a professor at the University of Exeter, John Heathershaw. He co-authored a report on university donations in 2021 which argued “wilful ignorance and an absence of transparency are no longer defences” for universities.

Donations to British and Irish universities have nearly tripled in the last ten years, from £500 million to £1.3 billion.

Cambridge University regularly receives foreign donations, including £7.4 million from Chinese tech company Huawei since 2016. A Vietnamese billionaire, Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, made a £155 million donation in order to rename Linacre College at Oxford University.

The amendment has been met with criticism from university groups. Universities UK said universities are already “responsible for developing policies and practices to manage and mitigate any associated risks”.

A Russell Group spokesman also said nobody “disagrees with the importance of a transparent system of funding” but “we don’t believe the proposed amendment is the right approach”. They claimed the amendment would “put a significant reporting burden on universities” and “potentially deter inward investment from international businesses”.

The amendment is still being considered but Heathershaw believes it “could end up becoming law.”

Varsity approached the University of Cambridge for comment.