Solidarity for Gaza! Research Professionals’ appeal to Finnish higher education institutions: Stop institutional cooperation with Israeli academic institutions.
During the war in Gaza, the education infrastructure of Gaza has suffered widespread destruction [i]. Over 2,300 buildings have been destroyed; among them, over 62 university buildings. All 12 of Gaza’s universities have suffered damage. Among the tens of thousands of dead are hundreds of academic workers and thousands of students and schoolchildren. In addition, hundreds of thousands are without access to a school or educational institution.
According to the UN, there is reason to suspect that this is a systematic destruction of the education system, known as ‘scholasticide’ [ii]. Even though the ongoing peace process provides some hope, finding a solution that is satisfactory to all parties and achieving lasting peace in the region is still a long way off.
It is Research Professionals’ opinion that higher education institutions and other institutional actors have a moral obligation to take a stand and attempt to influence the situation using all means at their disposal.
The defence of human rights, democracy, and scientific freedom requires active effort; otherwise their meaning crumbles. Defending these values must also be required from those actors with which higher education institutions are cooperating and in whose operation these institutions are participating.
Israeli universities have direct ties with the Israeli military and weapons industry since they participate in, for example, the development of weapons technology [iii]. Some universities have buildings and, for example, archaeological excavations in the unlawfully occupied areas, which can be considered problematic in terms of human rights and international law [iv]. Cooperation with such parties may make those involved indirectly complicit in the violations of international law and human rights that have taken place during the Gaza war.
Solidarity and scientific freedom are key values for Research Professionals. This is why we are appealing to Finnish higher education institutions to:
1. stop cooperation with Israeli universities and review ongoing projects and agreements in accordance with the UN recommendations [iv]
2. follow the example set by the University of Helsinki, University of Jyväskylä, and University of the Arts Helsinki [vi, vii] and endorse the statement of Belgian universities [viii] to exclude Israeli academic institutions from the EU’s research programme
3. review their investments and, if necessary, draft ethical guidelines that forbid direct and indirect investments in companies that are complicit in human rights violations
4. look for ways to support researchers, teachers, and students in Gaza and other crisis areas as well as the rebuilding of the education system. Such measures were undertaken when the war in Ukraine began. [ix]
This appeal does not target individual researchers or research groups but such institutional actors that are party to the ongoing crisis or are considered to have broken international law.
Higher education institutions in Finland have reacted to the Gaza crisis slowly or not at all, which has led to several protests, demonstrations, and demands for open discussion. Universities have previously been ready, even quite rapidly, to exclude actors from cooperation. In addition to ethical principles, higher education institutions need concrete action plans that outline their approach to crises like the war in Gaza. These should be drafted in open and democratic interaction with the higher education community. This would clarify and strengthen the position and role of higher education institutions as defenders of human rights, democracy, and academic freedom.
Sources
[ii] https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/04/un-experts-deeply-concerned-over-scholasticide-gaza
[iii] https://in.bgu.ac.il/en/hsi/Pages/default.aspx
[viii] https://vlir.be/nieuws/appeal-suspend-association-agreement/
[ix] https://www.oph.fi/fi/uutiset/2022/keskitettya-tietoa-opintomahdollisuuksista-ukrainasta-paenneille