But Provost Stephen Garton said all staff were required to meet behavioural expectations. “We have always supported and encouraged our staff to engage in public debate and accept that sometimes those views might be controversial," he said.

“We will continue to defend the right of our academic staff to express unpopular views as part of their teaching and research, and recognise this as a vital part of the academic process.

“At the same time, staff must also meet their obligation to engage in debate in a civil manner, and in accordance with our policies and codes of conduct.”

Dr Anderson had previously attracted criticism from federal education ministers for his numerous trips to Syria and North Korea. He has expressed solidarity with the Syrian regime.

On Facebook, Dr Anderson stood by his actions and said the image was barely perceptible. "If you enlarge the photo you can just see the fragment of a Nazi swastika," he said. "I maintain that comparisons of fascist states are completely legitimate."