A UNIVERSITY has been accused of “brainwashing” students after hosting a faculty seminar on dealing with “right-wing” views.

Councillor Robert Nemeth made the accusation after the University of Sussex became embroiled in controversy when a student publicised a poster for a discussion forum.

It comes as the university was once again given the lowest grade, red, for its free-speech protections in an assessment by an online magazine.

On February 13 a poster was seen on campus inviting faculty and PhDs to an “informal discussion and collaboration around issues of conflict, security and peacebuilding”.

The title of the event was “Dealing with right wing attitudes and politics in the classroom.”

Brighton and Hove Councillor Robert Nemeth, Conservative for Wish Ward, said: “Universities should promote free thinking and freedom of speech. Instead, what we have at Sussex is the continued brainwashing of students who are being instructed what to think rather than how to think.

“Speakers whose faces don’t fit are unwelcome and Jewish products are banned from the shops. It’s a chilling situation.”

In 2015 students at the university voted to boycott Israeli goods on campus following conflict in Gaza.

The decision means any shops and restaurants commercially connected to the students’ union will be forced to stop buying products from Israel.

This latest row began last week when Harry Howard, a third-year history and politics student at the university, wrote an article about the poster in The Telegraph.

He said he was “shocked and angry” to see it on display, adding that there was a “worrying aversion” to right-wing opinions.

University vice-chancellor Adam Tickell responded by email to students and parents last week asking for respect to be shown when opinions are being challenged.

He said: “While the intention was to explore how to handle racism and homophobia... conservative students feel diminished and excluded by their lecturers.”