Antisemitism in universities remains a major concern and the government needs to do more work to address it, an all party group of MPs has warned.

A progress report (pdf) one year after the government’s response to the All-Party Inquiry into Antisemitism suggests the Department for Innovation, Universities and Science has failed to do enough to tackle antisemitism on campus.

“Although we can point to significant progress against many of the Inquiry’s 35 recommendations there are still areas which remain of concern and require further work, this includes… antisemitism on university campuses,” the report says.

It is up to individual universities to make sure campuses are free from harassment and discrimination, the report states. But the group says it will consider setting up a sub-group on antisemitism in relation to higher education in discussion with higher education sector bodies and Jewish community bodies.

The report comes amid fears that a potential boycott of Israeli academics by university lecturers has resurfaced. The University and College Union will debate the proposal at its annual congress later this month.

Yair Zivan, campaigns officer for the Union of Jewish Students (UJS), said: “The situation on campus is certainly not getting better. The Community Security Trust recorded 59 incidents of antisemitism on campus in 2007. This year that number will be dramatically exceeded.”

He urged Dius to take the lead and create a task force for antisemitism on campus.

“The work on campus related antisemitism hasn’t been moving as far as we would like, partly because of university autonomy, but we have asked Dius to take more of a lead on this and issue guidelines rather than just dialogue.”

These would give universities advice on Jewish religious festivals clashing with exam timetables and helping with barriers to Jewish students going to higher education, such as lack of kosher food in some university towns.

It would also clarify the role and responsibility of student unions under the Race Relations Act and whether they act autonomously from the university.

Dius issued updated guidelines on dealing with extremism on campus earlier in the year. But Jewish students want specific guidelines on antisemitism on campus.

Zivan said: “Islamist organisations are not the only source of antisemitism on campuses by any stretch of the imagination. Antisemitism from the far left and the far right are not dealt with, which are particularly big sources of antisemitism for us.

The report commends Dius for engaging the sector in a debate on academic freedom and how it can be used to challenge and undermine extremism.

Zivan agreed that ministers had increased dialogue but said there was an issue of “how far academic freedom trumps discrimination”.

The higher education minister, Bill Rammell, said: “We are committed to tackling racism and discrimination in all its forms and to encouraging higher education institutions to do the same.

“We issued updated and revised guidance on ensuring good campus relations in January this year aimed at helping universities break down segregation amongst different student communities, ensure student safety and campuses free from bullying, harassment and intimidation.

“I meet regularly with the UJS and we are committed to work together with universities to tackle antisemitism. I and the department took a very strong stand against the proposed UCU academic boycott of Israel which was widely welcomed by many Jewish students.”