Ghent University severs ties with all Israeli universities

Belgium’s Ghent University has severed ties with all Israeli universities and research institutions, as they no longer align with its human rights policy, the university said on Friday 31 May, reports Reuters.

Pro-Palestinian protesters in Ghent have been protesting against Israel’s military offensive in Gaza and have been occupying parts of the university campus since early May. An investigation by Ghent University, known as UGent, highlighted concerns regarding connections between Israeli academic institutions and the Israeli government, military or security services, according to a university statement. The investigation also referenced a recent World Court ruling stating that the humanitarian situation in Gaza had worsened in recent months.

UGent, which already severed ties with three Israeli institutions two weeks ago, had 18 ongoing partnerships with Israeli academic institutions, it said. The university will continue its research projects with six non-academic Israeli institutions, saying they could not find any links between them and human rights violations.
Full report on the Reuters site