In line with the recommendation of the new Advisory Committee on Sensitive Collaborations, chaired by ISS rector Ruard Ganzevoort, the Executive Board has adopted this policy. The committee began its work in June.
Currently, the committee is aware of ten collaborations, according to chair Ruard Ganzevoort. One is with the Palestinian Birzeit University in the West Bank, while the rest are with Israeli institutions. These collaborations involve scientific partnerships and student exchange programmes. The latter category has already been on hold due to the war, but the scientific collaboration projects may continue for now.
Clear guidelines
“So, in practice, little has changed”, explains Ganzevoort. “What we’re doing with this advice is providing clarity. We’re offering academics a route to assess their projects.” This doesn’t apply to individual articles that may involve an Israeli researcher, as that falls under academic freedom. However, whenever a dean’s signature is required for a project, such as for a formal collaboration or exchange programme, the advisory committee steps in.
Existing collaborations will be scrutinised over the coming months. “We’ll evaluate them against our framework, which includes criteria such as potential human rights violations or conflicts with the core values of Erasmus University”, Ganzevoort says. This work will keep the committee busy in the coming months. “Time is needed to carefully gather facts and assess them against the guidelines.”
Sharp criticism
The Executive Board’s decision to freeze new partnerships with Israeli and Palestinian institutions has already faced strong criticism. The Central Jewish Board (CJO) called the decision ‘reeking of antisemitism’, accusing the university of singling out Israel. “The university could have also investigated Venezuela, Turkey and Iran”, a board member told newspaper AD. Ganzevoort emphasised that the committee wasn’t established solely because of the Gaza situation. “We monitor global developments. There’s already considerable debate around collaborations with Chinese institutions, and in the future, this could also apply to countries like Hungary. As far as I know, we don’t collaborate much with Venezuela.”
Rotterdam Encampment, the group that set up a protest camp on Erasmus Plaza last academic year, demanding the university cut ties with Israel, also criticised the decision. In a statement on Instagram, they called the move an example of ‘colonial blindness’. “Equating Palestinian and Zionist universities is a clear example of this. It only serves as a smokescreen to maintain its ties with Zionist institutions while projecting a false sense of neutrality.” Ganzevoort denied that the university is treating all situations the same. “We understand that different approaches are needed in different contexts. The rebuilding of universities in Palestinian territories, for example, could be a reason for continued collaboration. Each partnership will be assessed individually.”
