The University of Palermo’s decision to interrupt relations with Israeli researchers and universities «is part of university autonomy. I consider it a wrong choice, especially at a time when the political-diplomatic process of peace, of the search for peace, is intensifying.” This was said by the Minister of the University, Anna Maria Bernini, arriving at the Polytechnic University of Marche Le Torrette in Ancona.
“The universities – he added – do not take sides, the universities do not go to war, they are bridge builders, creators of peace, they are great factories of scientific diplomacy”.
The Academic Senate of the University of Palermo has decided to suspend the Erasmus agreements with Israeli universities, Viale delle Scienze explains, due to «the lack of essential security guarantees to which any subjects involved in the cooperation partnerships would be exposed in this particular and delicate moment of international crisis.” The Erasmus agreements in question also cover universities in Algeria, Georgia, Jordan, Lebanon, Ukraine, South Africa and Tunisia. Furthermore, the academic senate has decided to launch transparent procedures on research reports “for the development of an ad hoc regulation on dual use, which should be concluded by the summer break”.
At the Senate meeting yesterday, 3 June, it was decided that «with regards to the broader topic of agreements with universities, research centers and businesses, the University intends to establish procedures based on maximum due diligence transparency, initiating preliminary work for the development of an ad hoc regulation on dual use, which should be completed by the summer break”.
«Alongside these initiatives – says the Academic Senate – support measures for the Palestinian education system are currently being studied aimed at guaranteeing the right to study through the establishment of humanitarian corridors and scholarships and the organization of cultural information moments and training, also in collaboration with national and international networks, addressed not only to the university community but to the entire city to deconstruct the stereotyped and ideological interpretation of the clash between civilizations and religions which polarizes the current public debate by making use of the indications, requests and proposals that come from the teaching staff and students”. The initiatives that make up the policy document approved by the Academic Senate will be presented at a public meeting to be held on June 19th.
